Soap stars’ shock real ages -EastEnders star, 23, whose character is 13 to Corrie fave just 7 years younger than TV mum

SOAPS are meant to portray real life - with a whole load of affairs and murders thrown in for good measure.

But often viewers are forced to suspend their disbelief, especially when it comes to the appearance of some of our favourite characters.

On EastEnders recently, viewers were gobsmacked as a very old-looking school bully, Logan, stomped through the corridors, picking on teen Denzel.

While Logan was wearing a school uniform, which would make him no older than 16, the actor who plays him, Liam Hatch, is actually 27 in real life.

And, when he isn't acting, he is a personal trainer and online coach, with an Instagram account full of shirtless pictures of him working out at the gym - and even showing off his naked bum.

EastEnders fans were completely baffled as to why Liam had been cast as such a young character considering his age and physique.

But his isn’t the only questionable casting in Soapland, as we reveal some of the surprising real ages of our favourite stars…

Gail Platt and Audrey Roberts - Corrie

Helen Worth and Sue Nicholls have played mother and daughter Gail Platt and Audrey Roberts in Coronation Street since the Seventies.

The two actresses have perfected their on-screen relationship over the years and have great chemistry, regularly bouncing off each other.

But their strong friendship may actually have something to do with their proximity in age, as well as having worked together for so long.

In the show, Audrey is 83, while Gail is 65.

But in reality, there’s just seven years between them, as Sue is 80 and Helen is 73.

And there must be something in the water in Weatherfield, because both look remarkably youthful for their years!

Avani Nandra-Hart - EastEnders

When it was announced Ravi Gulati’s secret daughter Avani Nandra-Hart would be arriving on Albert Square with her mum Priya, fans questioned which one was playing the daughter out of Aaliyah James and Sophie Khan Levy.

While Avani is meant to be 13, actress Aaliyah is 10 years older at 23.

Meanwhile Sophie is 11 years older than her on-screen daughter, at the age of 34, and Aaron Thiara, who plays Ravi, is even closer to Aaliyah in age, at 30 years old.

To make things even stranger, Aaliyah’s on-screen brother Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati is meant to be older than her - 15 - and is played by real life 15-year-old Juhaim Rasul Choudhury.

Suki Panesar - EastEnders

The ages of Ravi’s step-mum and half-brothers are also all over the place on EastEnders.

While it’s unclear how old Suki Panesar is meant to be on the show, the actress Balvinder Sopal is 45 years old.

This makes her just 11 years older than her son Kheerat Panesar, as the actor Jaz Singh Deol is 34 years old.

Meanwhile, Balvinder is only eight years older than Amar Adatia, 37, who played her son Jags.

Maddie Morrison - Hollyoaks

Maddie Morrison was the evil, manipulative school bully in Hollyoaks, who met her demise in 2012 when a minivan door fell from the sky and crushed her, following an explosive crash.

While she was supposed to be 17 years old, the actress who played her, Scarlett Bowman, was 10 years older at 27.

Now 38, Scarlett works as an artist, rather than an actress. She’s also mum to son Rafael, four, and two-year-old daughter Juno with her husband Rob Colicci. 

Mo and Charlie Slater - EastEnders

It’s not just the Panesars who have mad age gaps on EastEnders!

When the Slater family descended on Albert Square in August 2000, they were headed up by dad Charlie Slater and his mother-in-law Big Mo.

While Mo was obviously meant to be older than her son-in-law, it was, in fact, the opposite.

Laila Morse, who plays Mo, is 78, while Derek Martin, who played Charlie until 2016, is 90!