Coronation Street’s Bernie Winter star Jane Hazlegrove has shared a more than 30-year relationship with her wife, who is also a familiar face from the cobbles.
Jane Hazlegrove has become a firm fan favourite on Coronation Street in her role as Bernie Winter – but many viewers are curious about her life away from the show and who she shares it with.
The actress joined the ITV soap in 2019, arriving on the cobbles as Bernie, the estranged mother of Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and Paul (Peter Ash). Since then, she has played a key part in several major storylines, including Bernie’s marriage to Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) and the devastating death of her son Paul in 2024 after his battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Bernie endured further sorrow earlier this month following the death of her son-in-law Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank). In a dramatic special episode set in Corriedale, Billy and several Weatherfield residents were involved in a catastrophic multi-vehicle crash.
The drama is far from over, as upcoming scenes see Bernie struggling to cope with Billy’s loss. During a night out, a drunk Bernie encounters a man named Mal, with the pair connecting over their personal struggles before he invites her back to his hotel room.
Off screen, however, Jane leads a much calmer life and is happily married to a fellow soap actor. Here’s a closer look at Jane’s long-standing relationship with her wife, Isobel, according to the Mirror.
Jane is married to actress Isobel Middleton. The pair first met in 1995 when Jane appeared in the popular stage production Boom Bang-a-Bang at London’s Bush Theatre.
Their connection began after Jane attended one of Isobel’s performances, leading to a romance that has now lasted more than three decades.
In 2010, they chose to enter into a civil partnership, marking the occasion with a celebration aboard a boat in Bristol. Speaking to the Mirror at the time, Jane said: “It was incredible – I got all dressed up and wore a really lovely outfit.”
Jane later explained that their decision was influenced by a serious health scare. She revealed: “Isobel had been ill. She was in London while I was working in Bristol on Casualty, and I wasn’t allowed to be informed about her operations or hospital treatment.”
She added: “I was only recognised as her friend, even though we’d been together for ten years. They couldn’t share any information with me. That’s why we decided to become civil partners – we felt that then, no one could come between us.”
Why Jane chose to keep her marriage private
Five years later, Jane and Isobel, now living in Derbyshire, officially married at a register office in Bristol. Jane admitted she had some doubts beforehand, saying: “At first, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to get married just because the government said we could.
“I’ve never been part of a crowd, I like to think of myself as someone who doesn’t just follow the rules.”
She continued: “So, we didn’t tell anyone – we just went ahead and did it ourselves. All we needed was a gas bill to upgrade! Very romantic! Afterwards, we invited six friends over for a curry.”
What roles has Isobel appeared in?
Like her wife, Isobel has a thriving acting career, having played several roles on Emmerdale, including Dr. Lane in 2014, a barrister in 2018, and Jean Rawson in 2020. She currently holds viewers’ attention as the village detective, DI Roberts.
Isobel’s work isn’t limited to Emmerdale; she appeared on EastEnders as Sadie Banks in 2002 and even had a role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 2009.
Adding to her impressive résumé, Isobel also featured on Coronation Street in 2022 as feminist author Persephone Braxton, hosting a book launch at Roy’s Rolls.
Reflecting on her wife’s time on Corrie, Jane joked: “I wanted to come along and be her chaperone, but she wouldn’t have it.
“She was in the café talking with Ken Barlow, and there was a fight when Tracy walked in and caught him with his mistress. I wasn’t working that day, thankfully – probably for the best, I don’t think Bernie would have liked her character very much!”
Jane also praised Isobel for always being a supportive partner.
In 2024, Jane opened up about the incredible support Isobel gave her during a particularly tough time, when she felt “unable to even open the script” for the episode depicting her on-screen son Paul’s death.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to open that script at home,” she admitted, “I didn’t want it sitting around my dining room, if you know what I mean.”
Offering a glimpse into their private life, Jane added: “So my wife took me off to a shepherd’s hut in Northumbria. We sat in the sunshine with a bottle of wine and read it together.”
Reflecting on why she struggled with the script, she explained: “I just knew that having Paul’s death episode at home was going to be too much for me.”
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