List of Coronation Street Characters (1978) - Brian Tilsley

Brian John Tilsley was played by Christopher Quinten. He married Gail Potter in 1979 and they had two children: Nick, born in 1980, and Sarah Louise in 1987. At the time of Gail got pregnant with Sarah, she was sleeping with Brian and his cousin,Ian Latimer, and was unsure if Brian is Sarah's father, although a blood test later revealed that he was. Gail refused to tell Brian until Audrey let the truth slip during an argument with Brian's mother, Ivy. Brian adjusted to Gail's infidelity but did not reconcile with Gail for some time; he briefly abducted Nick when a break-up looked likely. Ivy always believed that Ian was Sarah's father.

Brian and Gail eventually divorced, but got back together for the sake of their children, and married again in February 1988. The marriage didn't last and, on 15 February 1989, Brian was stabbed to death whilst protecting a woman from some youths outside a nightclub. Nick was deeply affected by his death, and, as a teenager, was shocked by an accidental meeting with the man who had killed his father.