List of Coronation Street characters (1995)

Daniel Osbourne is the son of Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Denise Osbourne (Denise Black). Daniel was originally portrayed by Lewis Harney from his birth in 1995 until he left with his mother in 1997. Upon his return in 2007, the character was portrayed by Dominic Holmes. The character was recast in 2016, with Rob Mallard taking over the role.

Daniel was first introduced after being born on 4 January 1995 to Ken Barlow and Denise Osbourne. Daniel appears again in May 2007 when he agreed to meet his father. At the time, Daniel's interests included heavy metal and football. He and Ken initially got on well, but Daniel begins to resent Ken's presence after he begins staying with him and Denise, to the extent of Daniel telling a friend that Ken is his grandfather. Ken eventually returns to his wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), leaving Daniel and Denise alone once again. In the intervening years, Daniel is mentioned and Ken occasionally visits him.

In November 2016, Daniel returns again by visiting Ken in hospital following his stroke. Peter, Tracy and Susan's son Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) visit Ken in hospital. They meet Daniel, who reveals he is Ken's son. Daniel joins his family for a meal and meets Peter's son Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) and Tracy's daughter Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney). Daniel draws up a rota for Ken's care when he comes home. Daniel is suspected of stealing Adam's car when Tracy and Adam visit his flat and find student debts. Daniel reveals that Denise left him when he was 15 and struggled paying the bills. Daniel has to move out of his flat and admits he doesn't know of Denise's whereabouts, so he reports her to the police as missing. In early 2017, Daniel begins to develop romantic feelings for local resident Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn) - who is in a relationship with her boyfriend Chesney Brown (Sam Aston), even though she wishes to end it. Daniel begins revising with Sinead when she has to work overtime at the factory, and the following day he is mortified when Adam realises that he is still a virgin. That night, however, Daniel and Sinead have sex in the factory store room. Adam reveals this to Chesney, who confronts Daniel at his house, and resulting in Sinead embarking on a relationship with Daniel. Sinead is later stunned to learn that she has fallen pregnant with Daniel's baby, however Daniel assumes that Chesney is the father. They initially agree to have the pregnancy terminated, however after the couple have a heart-to-heart, Sinead and Daniel agree to keep their unborn child. Ken, having learned that Daniel has been accepted onto a Masters program at Oxford University and fearing that fatherhood will interfere with his studies, persuades Sinead to have the termination after all. Sinead tells Daniel that she had a miscarriage, but when she feels unwell and Daniel calls for a doctor she admits to having an abortion. Daniel is devastated and ends the relationship.

Later that night, Ken is pushed down the stairs by an unknown assailant (see Who Attacked Ken?), and Daniel returns home to find his landlord Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre) standing over Ken's lifeless body. Ken is then rushed to hospital where Daniel, Sinead, with whom Daniel has reunited, and the other Barlows are told that Ken fell down the stairs as a result of being struck over the head with a blunt instrument, and that it will now be treated as an attempted murder investigation. Adam soon finds himself prime suspect and is desperate to shift the blame to anybody else. He kidnaps Daniel ''en route'' to one of his university examinations and tries unsuccessfully to make him confess. When Adam persuades the police to interview Sinead again, he is shaken when Daniel threatens to kill him. When Ken later apologises to Sinead at the flat over the abortion, he notices Daniel's red shoes and believes that he is his attacker. However Ken later notices similar red shoes in Adam's belongings, and so Adam is subsequently arrested and charged with the attack. However, Daniel later returns home and retrieves a bloodstained poetry book, and is thus revealed as the real culprit.

Unaware of this, Ken goes to stay with Daniel to help him revise for his remaining examinations and to redecorate his old flat. Daniel is reluctant about, especially when Ken asks specifically about the poetry book that Daniel used to hit him with. The following week Daniel tries to persuade Ken to tell the police that he simply lost his balance and fell down the stairs, but when the conversation moves to Denise, Daniel becomes furious. While Ken goes for a walk, Daniel is shown to be self-harming with a small knife. During his walk, Ken uncovers Denise's belongings buried in the garden and becomes convinced that Daniel has murdered his mother. Upon his return, Daniel reveals that it was he who pushed Ken in his fury at Denise's disappearance and Sinead's termination. As their confrontation turns physical, both Ken and Daniel are stunned when Denise unexpectedly returns. Meanwhile, Sinead and Chesney have found the poetry book in the flat and alerted the police, who arrive and arrest Daniel.

Daniel is released from custody after Ken tells the police that he tripped and fell down the stairs, but is shunned when Peter, Adam and Tracy learn the truth. Despite the turmoil Daniel nevertheless obtains his degree, though without the high distinction that had been expected of him. Denise temporarily moves in with Daniel after Sinead moves out, but after overhearing her say how blissful her life was with no responsibilities, Daniel throws her out of the flat. After rejection from Sinead and a confrontation with Tracy, Daniel purchases cocaine from a drug dealer and overdoses with the drugs and alcohol. He is found and rushed to hospital by Adam and Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill) who plead with Daniel to seek professional help regarding his mental health. Daniel later joins forces with a newspaper journalist, Cindy Watson (Esther Hall) to expose Phelan's wrongdoings. However, when Phelan catches the pair having sex he arranges a violent confrontation between Daniel and the journalist's jealous husband, thus warning Daniel against further interference.

Of his casting, Mallard said, "It feels great to be starting work on ''Coronation Street'' and I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. I grew up watching Coronation Street, so the chance to be in it, especially playing a part like Daniel, is very exciting". Producer Kate Oates said Daniel "is a different Barlow altogether, more sensitive and bookish, he is clearly a chip off the old block, but there is more to Ken's youngest son than meets the eye. Rob is a talented young actor who is perfect for the role." In August 2017, Mallard was longlisted for Best Newcomer at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. He made the viewer-voted shortlist, but lost out to his co-star Julia Goulding, who portrays Shona Ramsey. Provided by Wikipedia