Maria Sutherland is a character played by Samia Smith in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street since 2000. At one point or another she has dated Tyrone Dobbs, Jason Grimshaw and Nick Tilsley. She currently works as a hairdresser at Audrey Roberts' salon.

Maria first entered Weatherfield as the love interest of Tyrone Dobbs. She and her brother, Kirk, met him when his dog, Monica, visited the kennels they helped their parents to run. Tyrone and Maria became engaged and seemed inseparable until Tyrone was led astray by Fiz Brown and Maria dumped him.

She became an on/off love interest for Nick Tilsley, and even moved to Canada with him. Unfortunately it didn't work out after Nick's, and Maria returned to Weatherfield. After having a string of brief affairs, including being engaged for a second time when Nick returned from Canada to win her back, she found herself becoming close to Tyrone again - who had never lost his love for her anyway. Eventually Maria decided she did have feelings for him, and she got back together with Tyrone. They now form the comical duo, a much younger version of Jack and Vera.

Maria's brother, Kirk, is dating her old enemy Fiz. The two are at loggerheads over the running Maria's parents' kennels although they remain good friends and flatmates above the salon where she works.

After a pregnancy scare Tyrone broke off their engagement after realising that, despite how much he loved her, she would never be happy with him claiming she was too beautiful and that in the end it would make them both unhappy. Although upset, Maria was forced to accept his decision and fitted back into the single's scene with ease.

She has transformed from cute kennelmaid into a feisty fox on the street over the years and has established herself as Soap's Sexiest Female 2005 in the Inside Soap awards.

Quotes

• Toyah: " It'll be alright"
• Maria " Oh yeah it'll be great being here with my dopey brother, two exes and a reject from Fraggle Rock (pointing at Fiz)"

Family

• Eric Sutherland - father
• Dotty Sutherland - mother
• Kirk Sutherland - brother

See also

• Coronation Street cast

Coronation Street characters | Fictional barbers and hairdressers | Fictional bartenders