Five years on since his Coronation Street departure, Aidan Connor actor Shayne Ward will once again be reuniting with his on-screen co-star Catherine Tyldesley as part of an exciting new murder mystery show: The Good Ship Murder on Channel 5 on Friday, 13 October.

Leaving behind the cobbles in exchange for a cruise liner, the talented duo will once gain be reunited, but this time as Jack Grayling, a former detective turned cruise singer, and accomplished First Officer Kate Woods, as they tackle a spate of murders on their luxury liner.

While the show will certainly appeal to many whodunnit fans, or of course staunch soap aficionados who can’t wait to see the duo back on our screens after half a decade away – one question that continues to dominate many fans minds is what exactly has Shayne been doing for the last five years away from our screens?

Here, we take a closer look at his life off screen, including his soap star girlfriend.

Early Life

Born and raised in Tameside, Greater Manchester, Shayne Ward first began his life on 16 October 1984 as the son of two Irish Travellers who had settled in England.

Growing up, he attended St. Peter’s RC High School in Manchester, where he first developed his love of performing, initially as a singer, which prompted his later appearance on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Aged just 18 at the time of the show, Shayne made it all the way to the final 30 contestants of the competition, before sadly missing out on his chance to become a member of One True Voice.

Music Career

After coming so close to achieving his dream, Shayne refused to give up on a career in music and instead took another chance on fame when he appeared on The X Factor three years later.

Initially impressing the judges, Shayne swiftly moved through each stage of the competition under the watchful eye of Louis Walsh, who mentored him throughout the process – before finally claiming victory in December 2005 when he famously won the show!

For his debut single, Shayne then released his own original song: That’s My Goal, prompting widespread praise from music critics and fans alike, it was this song which truly kickstarted his music career, with several albums soon following of the next few years including his own self titled: Shayne Ward, Breathless and a third album called Obsession.

With his solo career skyrocketing, Shayne was even considered as a potential member in one very famous band, 90’s icons Take That.

The startling admission came in 2006, when Gary Barlow revealed in his autobiography that at one point Shayne had been seriously considered as a potential replacement for Jason Orange, prior to the star’s departure from the band.

However, Jason decided not to depart at that time, meaning Shayne wasn’t needed to step in – but it was certainly a lovely endorsement to have such high praise from a pop a-lister like Gary!

Coronation Street Role

Although there’s no denying Shayne was going from strength to strength with his music career, in 2015 the star decided to turn his hand to a different kind of performing when he joined ITV soap Coronation Street as Aidan Connor, a distant cousin of Michelle Connor, played by Kym Marsh.

Making his official debit on the cobbles in August 2015, Aidan quickly became a firm fan favourite and even received a 2016 National Television Award and 2016 Inside Soap Award for his performance on screen, as Best Newcomer.

Initially, Aidan was only supposed to be a character on the soap for one year, but he proved to be so popular with audiences that Shayne’s contract was extended for a further two years, with Aidan often placed at the heart of several nail biting storylines, including a tense love triangle between Adam Barlow, Eva Price and himself.

However, his soap career soon came to an end in 2018, when Shayne announced he would be leaving the show as part of a heartbreaking suicide storyline. His final scenes aired on 10 August 2018.

Dramatic Weight Loss

While starring on Corrie, Shayne revealed that he had gained a significant amount of weight during filming, something he told The Mirror, was “due to the tempting canteen food at Granada studios”, which was partly to blame.

Gaining a whopping three stone (42lbs), Shayne realised he needed to take action and during his final few months on the show was shown looking noticeably slimmer after changing his diet and exercise habits.

Life After the Cobbles

Since leaving Weatherfield, Shayne has continued to take on a number of acting roles, including the lead role in psychological thriller, The Ascent and 2020 movie G-Loc.

He has also returned to his musical roots, having released a compilation of his previous works in the December 2022 album Anthology.

He has also teased a new album on the card, which will utilise a more country-pop sound.

Soap Star Girlfriend

While his character Aidan’s love life may have been complicated in Coronation Street, thankfully, Shayne’s own romances have been far less dramatic, with the star currently in a relationship with former Hollyoaks star Sophie Austin.

Sophie, who is best known for playing Lindsey Butterfield in the soap, first began dating Shayne in 2016, with the couple going on to welcome their first child together that same year, a daughter named Willow May.

A second child also followed, this time a son, Reign Thomas Austin Ward who was born in June 2022.

Initially the couple had thought they were expecting another baby girl, but were “overjoyed and blessed” by the arrival of a son instead!

The Good Ship Murder airs on Friday at 9pm on Channel 5

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