Coronation Street's former villain Reece Dinsdale has baffled - and delighted - fans by announcing he has returned to the soap. The actor has had to clarify to some, however, that it won't be in an acting role.
That's because his character Joe McIntyre, who was Gail Platt's fourth husband and father of Tina McIntyre played by Michelle Keegan, after he died attempting to fake his own death, mirroring the real-life case of John Darwin who is currently being depicted in a new ITV drama.
Joe met a watery end in 2010, two years after making his debut on the cobbles when Joe and Gail met as prospective when their children Tina and David Platt started seeing each other.
Joe proposed to Gail on a boat he had renovated but Gail was unaware that the kitchen fitter was deep in debt and she married Joe in January 2010. On their honeymoon, in scenes filmed in the Lake District, Joe attempted to fake his own death for the life insurance money and he told Gail who was horrified.
After a row on the boat, witnessed by another couple, Joe got Gail back to the dock and he set sail alone. But shortly afterward, he was knocked from the boat and drowned. At the time Reece's exit was announced, in July 2009, his character Joe was in the midst of a painkiller addiction.
But 12 years later Reece is treading the Corrie cobbles once more but this time from behind the camera. Taking to Twitter, the actor, who was killed off Emmerdale last year before returning as a director, revealed the news alongside a snap of the famous street.
"Just received my #Corrie scripts. Very excited. Like being handed a giant Rubik’s cube… a thousand decisions, twists and turns ahead. Love it!" he shared.
Corrie star Alan Halsall, who has played Tyrone Dobbs for 24 years, was among those to comment, replying: "I’ll look forward to seeing you again pal."
Hayley Tamaddon, who also appeared in Corrie and Emmerdale, also said: "Corrrr I miss it there. Best days ever. Wish we had worked together Reece!"
But some may have forgotten Reece's past on the soap as they asked whether he'd be returning as an actor or director. In response to one, the soap star laughed: "I’d have a job on acting in it!"
Another, however, did remember and spoke about missing the McIntyre's after Reece's on-screen daughter Tina was killed off four years after him in 2014. "Loved working with @michkeegan," Reece said of the Brassic star. He added: "We had such a good rapport."
He was also quizzed on when viewers will get to see the episodes he's been a part of on-screen. Reece said: "Filming comes after a hell of a lot of prep. End of May for shooting," before telling another: "Think my eps will be aired in July."
And he also revealed that he will be back in the Yorkshire Dales later this year after leaving the soap as Paul Ashdale, the dad of Vinny and ex of Mandy Dingle.
