Jonathan Howard plays Carl Webster on Coronation Street
Coronation Street fans were left stunned after discovering that Carl Webster actor Jonathan Howard had previously taken on another role.
The 41-year-old joined the ITV soap in 2025 as the estranged brother of Kevin and Debbie Webster.
Since arriving on the cobbles, Carl’s storylines have been nothing short of dramatic. He has had an affair with his sister-in-law Abi Webster, nearly killed Tyrone Dobbs in a hit-and-run, and stolen money from his sister Debbie, who is living with dementia.
Earlier this week, during Corriedale, Carl tried to flee Debbie and Ronnie Bailey’s wedding to Germany after his lies finally caught up with him. Despite Debbie attempting to stop him, Carl, well over the legal alcohol limit, drove off with both of them in the car. The vehicle ended up crashing into a pile-up caused by Emmerdale’s John Sugden colliding with Becky Swain during the crossover.
After the crash, Carl attempted to move an unconscious Debbie into the driver’s seat in a bid to escape, before ultimately collapsing himself.
Carl was later rushed to the hospital, where Kevin confronted him, insisting he knew all of Carl’s secrets—including moving their sister into the driver’s seat. Despite this, Debbie continued to defend her younger brother, while Carl smugly denied the accusations.
With Carl in the spotlight this week, soap fans have become curious about Jonathan Howard’s past roles before Coronation Street.
On Facebook, one fan shared: “I’ve been rewatching Downton Abbey on Netflix and guess who was in it…” alongside a photo of Jonathan as Sam Thawley in the 2013 series.
Other viewers were just as surprised. One wrote: “He looks totally different, I wouldn’t have recognised him,” while another commented: “He looks so different!” A third said: “I would never have recognised him!” and another fan asked: “Is that Carl?”
Lancashire-born actor Jonathan Howard studied at LAMDA before securing several Hollywood roles. In 2013, he appeared in World War Z and Thor: The Dark World.
The following year, he featured in Mr Selfridge, and in 2019 he appeared in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He has now taken on the role of Carl Webster on Coronation Street.
In his personal life, Jonathan is believed to be married to actress Elodie Yung, known for her roles in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Daredevil, and more recently as the lead, Thony De La Rosa, in The Cleaning Lady.
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