Kirk Sutherland is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 22 May 2000, played by an uncredited actor and originally referred to as Mark. He has been played by Andrew Whyment since October 2000. Storylines Kirk first appears when Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) mistakenly believes that he is Maria Sutherland's (Samia Ghadie) boyfriend. Maria explains that Kirk (whom she refers to as "Mark") is her brother. Kirk briefly leaves Weatherfield after the mistake, but shortly returns soon after. He goes for a drink with local resident Steve (Simon Gregson). Kirk reappears after being kicked out of The Rovers Return by landlord Fred Elliott (John Savident), who believes him to be too young to drink. He is the older brother of Maria, with whom he owns Weatherfield Kennels. Kirk is good friends with Tyrone and Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) and an ex-boyfriend of Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) whom he had met at a flat-decorating party. He is also friends with Les Battersby (Bruce Jones), with whom he once lived, acting as best man at his wedding to Cilla Brown (Wendi Peters). He also grew quite close to Cilla's son, Chesney (Sam Aston), while he was with Fiz. Kirk dumps Fiz after he finds out that she had spent the night at her ex-boyfriend Tyrone's house. Kirk meets Thelma Clegg, who hires him to shampoo her poodle. She is so impressed that she asks him to call round to her house regularly. Fiz is suspicious and follows Kirk to Thelma's house where she can see Kirk being entertained by Thelma belly-dancing in her living room. Kirk professes his innocence and says Thelma would not let him out of the house. Kirk loses the kennels, following a lawsuit over the accidental neutering of a pedigree specimen, and within a week proposes to his girlfriend, Fiz. She dumps him immediately and tells him that she no longer wants to be with him. She leaves Kirk to be with her first love, John Stape (Graeme Hawley), leaving Kirk feeling broken and humiliated. Later that month, Kirk and Jamie Baldwin (Rupert Hill) rescue Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth), Kirk's next-door-neighbour from her burning house. As a reward, Claire's husband, Ashley (Steven Arnold) gives Kirk a job at his butcher's shop. After Cilla receives £45,000 for a necklace, she lets Kirk know first and