Coronation Street star Kate Ford tells why she believes Steve and Tracy can finally be happy together.

Although Steve McDonald is just 44, he has been married seven times already (and twice to the same bride) on Coronation Street. So after his latest wedding, to Tracy Barlow again (above), will the future be any brighter for Steve and his new wife this tim

Coronation Street’s Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow have had one of the rockiest relationships in the history of the soap – and given some of the stormy couples who have graced the cobbles over the years, that really is saying something.

Despite a disastrous second wedding and honeymoon, Kate Ford, who plays Tracy, believes the couple can make a successful go of their marriage this time around. Her confidence is built on the foundation that despite everything they have been through, and maybe also partly because of it, their bond is as strong as ever.

“I think they do love each other,” says Ford, “and she (Tracy) thinks it’s finally all come together.”

Tracy could not have been happier in the lead-up to their wedding.

“This (marrying Steve) is what she’d dreamt about for such a long time,” says Ford. “She has always loved Steve ... She really believes this is their time.”

However, it looked like their marriage had imploded almost as soon as it had started when, on their wedding day, Tracy found out Steve (Simon Gregson) had slept with Leanne – again. After their first one-night stand, Leanne fell pregnant and gave birth to a boy, who was named Oliver.

Steve admitted he hooked up with Leanne for a second time only because he thought Tracy had given him a “free pass”. Clearly, she hadn’t. Ford said the free-pass situation really was “a fiasco” for the couple.

“She (Tracy) found out that Steve misread her intention and actually thought she was giving him free rein to sleep with somebody else. But then she thought, ‘Surely not. Not even Steve could be that stupid’.” Oh, yes he could.

Steve does OK in the business

world (Streetcars is still running successfully) but when it comes to women and relationships, he can be a walking disaster zone.

Although Steve and Tracy went on their honeymoon together, Tracy made Steve pay by leaving him alone in the desert and making him find his own way back to Weatherfield.

Ford is delightfully understated when she says of their latest marriage, “It doesn’t get off to the best of starts”.

However, the humiliation of Steve and his punishment seems to have mended a lot of bridges between the couple. And with their daughter Amy having drawn up a family contract that they all have to abide by, it may have even pulled them closer together.

“Tracy’s confident that she and Steve are now in a good place and she’s really happy,” says Ford.

It seems that Steve and Tracy may be destined to be together for a good while yet, a fact that Ford is delighted with.

“I’m really enjoying Steve and Tracy being back together and playing the humour in their relationship,” she says.

“We have such a laugh together. That’s where I’m happiest – playing the comedy stuff with Simon. I’ve also had some great scenes with Bev (Callard/Liz McDonald) recently.”

Ford is well aware there will always be flare-ups between Steve and Tracy as volatility is at the core of their relationship

But because deep down they do really love each, she is confident they will stay true to their marriage vows ... for a while anyway.