Many celebrities have marked National Sibling Day last Wednesday, 10 April, paying tribute to their beloved brother or sister.
Among these, are siblings who have shared a closer bond than others having starred alongside each other on a soap as they bear an uncanny resemblance or have been in the public eye.
We've come to know the siblings on our favourite soaps, from the Mitchells on EastEnders or the Platts on Coronation Street – family affairs on screen have often sparked family rifts in another drama-filled storyline. But away from set, celebs appear to share a much closer bond with their sibling and have supported each other along the way.
Let's take a look at the soap stars who are siblings in real life, along with their popstar sister or rival soap brother. From the Swash's, the Thomas brothers and the famous Walsh's...
Jamie Lomas and Charley Webb
Jamie Lomas took part in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but fans are more used to seeing the actor on Hollyoaks. But Jamie isn't the only one in his family to take up a soap acting career, as sister Charley Webb stars as Debbie Dingle on ITV's Emmerdale.
Jamie's younger sibling, Danny Webb, was also the first ever Aaron Livesy on Emmerdale between 2003 and 2006, and Lucy Webb appeared as baby Jon Dingle between 2004 and 2007 when she was just tiny. Something in the genes? We think so.
Joe and Shana Swash
Stacey Solomon's beau, the former king of the jungle, first made a name for himself hanging around Albert Square. Joe Swash, who portrayed Mickey Miller from 2005 to 2011 on EastEnders and shared the screen with his real-life sister Shana, who played his on-screen sibling Demi.
Nick and John Pickard
Nick and John Pickard are another sibling duo in the soap world. Nick's character Tony Hutchinson has been a Hollyoaks favourite for years, and when it came time to introduce his long-lost on-screen brother, his real-life brother John was the perfect fit.
He played Tony's brother Dom from 2005 to 2010.
Adam, Ryan, and Scott Thomas
The Thomas brothers, Adam, Ryan, and Scott, have also made their mark on British soaps. Ryan, the eldest, portrayed Jason Grimshaw on Coronation Street from 2000 to 2016 before moving to Australia to join the cast of Neighbours.
Meanwhile, Adam played Adam Barton in Emmerdale from 2009 to 2018.
Amy, Sally and Kimberly Walsh
Amy Walsh, who joined Emmerdale as Tracy Metcalfe in 2014, isn't the only member of her family to star in the soap. Her sister Sally played Lyn Hutchinson from 1997 to 2000. They also have another famous sibling - former Girls Aloud singer Kimberly Walsh and a brother called Adam.
Sam, Emily and Joseph Aston
Coronation Street's Sam Aston, known for his role as Chesney Brown, also has siblings in the industry. His older sister Emily starred as Rebecca Palmer in 51 episodes of Corrie between 1996 and 1997, while his brother Joseph appeared as a young Tommy Duckworth in 2000.
These soap stars have no doubt benefitted from growing up with their siblings by their side as an expert said it helps "develop crucial skills".
Toy Expert at The Entertainer, David Westman explained: "Having a childhood surrounded by siblings can be a massive positive for developing social and emotional skills. The constant levels of interaction can help mature key aspects such as communication and conflict resolution, it introduces social dynamics from an early age and allows children to develop crucial skills.
"Additionally, having siblings can also boost emotional understanding and promote empathy. Through interaction, children will learn to respond to specific emotions - which improves emotional intelligence as a whole."
With some siblings working alongside each other in the soap world, the expert added: "Aside from emotional and social skills, siblings are also a great source of competition. Naturally, we all want to better our brother or sister, this healthy competition is a great way to boost motivation in younger ones while teaching important life skills such as resilience."
