Amy is the daughter of Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), granddaughter of Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride), Ray Langton (Neville Buswell), Ken Barlow (William Roache), Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) and Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson) and the cousin of Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) and Adam Barlow (Iain De Caestecker; Sam Robertson). Amy's storylines have included: her mother's selling her to Roy Cropper (David Neilson), who was presumed to be the father of Amy, and his wife, Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh); her becoming lactose intolerant and purposefully making herself ill so that her parents would be nice to each other; her losing her great-grandmother Blanche Hunt (Maggie Jones) and grandmother Deirdre; and her being stuck in Victoria Court flats when a fire was accidentally started by Tracy and falling pregnant at the age of 14 by gang leader Tyler Jefferies (Will Barnett) and having a secret abortion without telling her parents.