Real life of Coronation Street’s Summer Spellman actress Harriet Bibby – real age, second job and life after exit

The exit of Sumer from Weatherfield played out in emotional scenes, four years after Harriet took over the role

**Coronation Street star Harriet Bibby** (Image: PA)

Summer Spellman said her “three dads” farewell this week in order to seize an opportunity that could not be missed outside of Weatherfield. When the adolescent, portrayed by Harriet Bibby, informed her guardian Billy Mayhew in February that she had received an opportunity to study in America, it was actually made public that she was leaving Coronation Street.

But Summer later admitted to Billy that, given his husband Paul Foreman’s diagnosis of motor neurone disease, she didn’t think it was the proper moment. Billy first agreed when Summer proposed seeking to move the placement back a year, but Paul was able to convince them otherwise.

Summer had accepted to travel to Boston, but after learning that Paul would take his own life when he felt the time was appropriate due to his battle with motor neurone disease, she began to have significant second thoughts about leaving the nation. Nevertheless, she booked her travel to Boston, convinced as she was by Billy and Paul that she would be the first to know if Paul’s health changed.

Later, with tears in their eyes, Todd Grimshaw, Billy, and Paul said a heartfelt goodbye to Summer as she drove off in the back of a cab.

Five years ago, in 2017, Summer (played by a different actress) debuted on the cobbles. Summer is the adoptive daughter of Billy’s former partner, Drew Spellman. However, Summer lost her only parent when Drew passed away in 2017 due to difficulties from cancer. Drew’s final wishes were for Summer to be placed under the custody of Billy and Todd, his then-partner.

As Summer helped Billy kick a drug habit and turn his life around, things quickly got worse for the youngster. She later had to deal with her own issues, including being diagnosed with diabetes and fighting bulimia. More recently, she broke up with her boyfriend Aaron Sandford, who later sexually assaulted her closest friend Amy Barlow, and dealt with her adolescent pregnancy and subsequent kidnapping when she consented to be a surrogate for churchgoers Mike and Esther Hargrave.

The actress Harriet, who made her Corrie debut in 2020 after taking over the recast role following the departure of Matilda Freeman, will also be leaving as Summer heads to Boston.

**Summer said an emotional goodbye** (Image: ITV)

**Harriet when she joined the ITV soap as Summer** (Image: ITV/Coronation Street)

Harriet has been a major character on Corrie for the past four years, but she hasn’t entirely given up on her teaching career, as she previously disclosed. Prior to joining the cast of Corrie, she worked as a singing instructor.

“I teach singing on the weekends,” she had previously revealed to Inside Soap Magazine. “I work with children at a musical theater group on Saturday mornings. I just kept going because I loved being a student. The kids are wonderful, and it’s a lot of fun.” In reference to her performance on Saturday Mash-Up earlier this year, she said at the time, “The kids I teach watched me get slimed on CBBC— and they loved that!”

As Harriet has previously mentioned, at one of her classes, she was informed that she had been cast in the role of Summer Spellman. The soap star, who also teaches singing, stated to Lorraine Kelly on her own ITV program: “I taught a class full of kids.

“When my phone rang, I realized I couldn’t answer it. I responded, “Can you just take the class? I need to go answer this call,” but I had to wait until one of the other teachers arrived. Harriet also revealed her secret singing ability when she contributed her voice to a brand-new charity record back in June 2022.

She posted an image of singer-songwriter Shane Board with Harriet on Instagram, along by a statement from Diabetes UK offering further information. The song’s music video, which included Shane and Harriet, was subsequently shared along with a link to the song, People We Keep. The two are first seen driving together before they are later spotted singing to one another.

Given that the soap opera was filming weeks in advance, Harriet’s last scenes were probably shot in early February. It looks like she had a vacation shortly after leaving. She posted a series of pictures from her trip to Iceland on Instagram, with plenty of snowy landscapes and a swim in what looked to be the Blue Lagoon.

She hasn’t yet discussed leaving the popular show, though, but given that Summer has a three-month study schedule, it’s possible that Harriet will return to the role of Summer later this year.