ITV Coronation Street’s Emrhys Cooper shares how his family was ‘sucked in by cults’

Emrhys Cooper says his parents were hoodwinked by a wellness cult which tried to separate them from each other as well as from their cash and because of this, his mother’s health has been ruined

The actor who plays the eerie self-help guru Rowan Cunliffe on Coronation Street has revealed how, in real life, his parents fell into scams and cults posing as health gurus.

After spending many years in the US for his part in the ITV soap opera, Emrhys Cooper returned to the UK and claims that the poor advice his mother got years ago has damaged her health. He also claims that his parents were duped as a pair by a cult that aimed to keep them apart financially and from one another. Growing up in Totnes, Devon, Emrhys claims that his parents, Christopher and Raphaela, were “hippies” who were duped by con artists on many occasions.

“My parents met a lot of Rowan-types over the years while growing up in Totnes, a very new-age town and a breeding ground for gurus and holistic doctors,” the man claims. Growing up, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. However, as I grew older and saw personally some of the risks associated with these kinds of people, my mother’s health was negatively impacted by some very risky advise she was given, which still upsets me deeply.

He said that Raphaela was told to disobey medical advice, with disastrous results. “A holistic doctor basically told my mother that he could get her off the prescription with some herbal remedy, and she had a heart attack.” My mother was on medication for excessive blood pressure.

Her refusal to take the blood pressure medication that her doctor had prescribed—and her covert hoarding of them—made matters worse. He laments, “She promised us that she would return to the prescription, but sadly she didn’t.” She had a very serious stroke four years ago, leaving her disabled and in a nursing home. Thus, if she had disregarded that advise, it may have been prevented.

Emrhys, 39, is well-known for her roles in television series such as CSI: NY, Vanity, and Desperate Housewives. She is also known for her portrayal as smooth-talking Rowan, the attractive head of a group called The Autovalent Institute, in the television series Corrie. As he comes to Weatherfield in the story, he immediately goes for Leanne Battersby, who is susceptible to his kind of “support” since she lost her little son Oliver to sickness three years previously.

Leanne (Jane Danson) has experienced heartbreak and agony. Rowan recognises this and uses what he terms “reality coding” to help her recover, which her sister Toyah can see right away.

Emrhys, 39, said he knew right away what was happening since he had seen it firsthand when a mob in London attacked his parents together. He claims, “My parents did end up in a cult.” In reality, it was more of a spiritual cult than a health or fitness organisation. And it became more ominous as they paid more money and went deeper and deeper.

“Basically, my dad was a bit disturbed that he was having to grope this lady and my mum was having to do this thing with someone else, but the cult was trying to divide my parents by having them engage in these pretty sexual activities with other people. They eventually realised that their fitness regimen was not as beneficial as they had thought.

He said that because of his open disbelief, his father requested him to go before him, and his mother followed suit not long after. They escaped with just minor injuries. However, they have dabbled in and out of a variety of pursuits. They’re always searching for other solutions. They are also clever individuals who have sadly been taken advantage of a lot due to their generosity.

Now that Rowan is pursuing Leanne, the same thing is occurring to her. He is able to identify those who are more vulnerable. He understands what buttons to push, and it’s possible that they’ve experienced trauma.

The Corrie executives were blind to Emrhys’s prior experiences and just considered him for the role of tryout. He now adds, “I was instantly struck by how well I already knew the character when my agent sent me the audition for Rowan.”

Certain roles seem to suit well. I’m incredibly appreciative that Coronation Street saw that quality in me because I am well aware of it, but they were unaware of it. It’s art that reflects life.

He comes out as witty and kind in the narrative, which makes Leanne fall in love with him right away. His thrall will ensnare other occupants, drawing them into The Institute’s orbit.

enchanting and charismatic Rowan’s primary function is recruiting, and he is everything from the misty-eyed mystic cliché. He makes extensive trips to give talks at conferences and seminars, spotting those who are more open to his ideas and urging them to join. After that, he trains them on how to find more recruits, Emrhys claims, adding that he is used to dealing with doubters such as Toyah. “He is not easily thrown and has a strong belief in the cause.”

After a successful run in the West End musical We Will Rock You, Emrhys, then 21 years old, felt he wanted to see what Hollywood was like and travelled to America. “Regardless of how you look at it, I booked a one-way ticket with a lot of self-belief or delusional confidence, but no plan, not a single friend, and no contacts.”

Since then, he has resided in the US and developed his acting career by writing and directing films. Mamma Mia! and the more contemporary thriller Dreamcatcher are among the films in which he has appeared.

He has already written a movie, The Shuroo Process, for 2021, based on his real-life experiences. “The idea to write and direct The Shuroo Process came to me because I wanted to work through some of my past to better understand it because I believe that truth is stranger than fiction,” he says. The narrative is on a young, female writer from New York City who visits a health resort and falls madly in love with a very charming self-help guru. This sets her off on a disastrous path of self-improvement. The film drew heavily on real-life incidents, the actor claims.

There will be watchers watching him on ITV in the next weeks who will be wondering why Emrhys would decide to go from sunny Los Angeles to the gloomy cobblestones of Weatherfield. Despite having desired to return to the UK for a number of years, the actor maintains he couldn’t be happier. “I do have a nice life in California, so I didn’t want to come back here without a job,” he says. But I’m smitten with the sly Northern humour! For me, this position and career are really a dream come true, and it’s more significant because of the personal link.


The actor said how kind and inviting the cast and crew of the serial opera had been. Being able to share the screen with an icon is really an honour, since I have always held Jane Danson in high regard. Sincerely, I’m enjoying myself immensely.

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