Ronan Burley is an entrepreneur; he comes from a working class family, always looking for a business opportunity and is obsessed with earning money. He's inspired by Alan Sugar, and is the kind of boy who has thousands saved in the bank from his various schemes and pocket money. But Ronan's schemes mask a troubled home life and when he decided to cut ties with his parents we saw why he was so desperate to make an independent life for himself.
Ronan's father is part of one of Manchester's bigger gangs and has earmarked Ronan to follow in his footsteps. Ronan was forced to make some brave decisions to escape a criminal future and even shopped his own dad to the police – a decision which might come back to haunt him in series seven.
Following a surprise wedding proposal to Vicki, Ronan was devastated to learn that his fiancée was having an affair with his best friend, Aiden and pregnant with his baby. Later when Vicki miscarried, it was Ronan who was there to offer comfort and support and the end of the series saw them rekindle their relationship.
Series 7 sees their relationship come under more stress when Vicki struggles with the pressure of her upcoming re-sits and Ronan focuses on his new business adventure, a fruit and veg stall. Things escalate when Vicki cannot cope with the stress anymore and starts to get physically abusive towards Ronan. Vicki begins counselling and Ronan takes her back, but this doesn't last and he eventually breaks it off with her.
Trivia[]
- Ronan is a fan of the Arctic Monkeys and Goldfrap.
- Ronan is captain of the rugby team.
Quotes[]
- "So you cook like this at home, miss?" (first line)
- "You think I'm not bothered about Sarah? Don't you get it? That's what all this is about. I don't wanna be a dad. But I could always do the crap thing and just walk away. But what about her?"
- "My mum had me when she was a year older than Sarah. All I ever hear is what she could've done, and couldn't cos I was there. And you know what? She was right. When I have a kid, I want to love it, not blame it. So I'm glad of what I did. You can punish me, right? Sarah can hate me, her mum can call me whatever. But I know what I did was right. Isn't that what being a man's supposed to be all about?"
- "You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, stick to the teaching! Cos you don't know anything about me, or my parents!"
- Ronan: "I'm leaving Rochdale."
- Kevin: "No, no, no. No, you're not."
- Ronan: "Yeah, I am. That's what I needed the money for. I can't be around you any more."
- Kevin: "Get in the car."
- Ronan: "No. I said I was leaving, and I meant it. I can take care of myself."
- "I don't have a choice. My cousin Jack, he's a year older than me, doing 20 years for armed robbery. If I don't get away, that'll be me."
- "I'm just making a valid debating point through the medium of interpretive dance!"
- "Day one in the Big Brother school. Jess and Jonah are making the rest of the housemates wanna vom."
- Janeece: "You're up to summat, you, I know it."
- Ronan: "Pity you're not smart enough to prove it!"
- Ronan: "Yeah, and when I'm a high-flyer and you're still here, comfort you, won't it?"
- Janeece: "Um, well what's to say I'm not gonna have the same career as you?"
- Ronan: "You've got no education, Janeece. This is it for you."
- "Tonight's specifically designed for us to get our rocks off with the ladies. And when Vicki MacDonald's hanging off me face, then it's mission accomplished."
- "You are joking me." (after catching Jonah and Cesca together)
- "Nah. You can keep your arty-farty rubbish. I'm more of an action movie bloke, me. That and Pixar. I don't care how old I get, Finding Nemo rocks."
- "Vicki, my sweet darling. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"
- "Ey up, it's the Fat Controller."
- Aiden: "Mate."
- Ronan: "I ain't your mate."
- "It wasn't enough nicking my girlfriend, was it, you had to get her pregnant as well?!"
- Lauren: "Have any of them heard of protection, or...?"
- Ronan: "No. They don't make condoms small enough for him."
- "Feast your eyes on the Burmobile. Full body kit, alloys. Ey, you should hear the stereo."
- "En suite for the lady. Never mind the high definition telly and the king-size bed."
- Ronan: "Look, I get that you wanna do well on your exams. But can you try and be a bit nicer sometimes? That's why I asked Madi to help me. Because she was interested. Because she didn't look at me like I was some sorta loser."
- Vicki: "Because she fancies you!"
- Ronan: "Yeah, well, at least someone does!"
- "Right, I'd just like to, uh, thank you all for being such a great set of mugs - I mean customers! No, joking aside, it's because of this place that I now own my own business, which I got the keys for today. So um, I couldn'ta done it without you. Thank you very much."
- "Just because this is the start of something brilliant, doesn't mean...well, it doesn't mean that anything has to end." (final line of his regular stint)
- Ronan: "Oh what you doing? Get away from the van!"
- Tariq: "What you doing here?"
- Ronan: "Catering, for the prom tonight."
- Tariq: "Hahaha, fruit and veg business already gone belly up?"
- Ronan: "Diversifying." (first lines upon his return in Series 7 Episode 30)
- "Hey, careful, people'll start talking!" (final line)