Coronation Street star Martin Hancock has revealed that he has a previously unknown connection to another actor on the ITV soap. Martin is set to make a comeback as his character Spider Nugent crawls back into Toyah Habeeb's life after 19 years.
The actor played Emily Bishop's eco-warrior nephew between 1997 and 2003 and is probably best remembered for being the on/off boyfriend of Toyah, played by Georgia Taylor. And next week, Corrie viewers will see him back in Weatherfield almost two decades after he headed to London to start afresh with Toyah before they separated and he moved to Peru.
Corrie teased back in April whether Spider had held on to the ideals of his youth and he has returned for seemingly one final attempt to rekindle his love with Toyah - but it has now been revealed that it is his eco beliefs that brought him back and he's soon reunited with his former girlfriend.
READ MORE: ITV Coronation Street's Martin Hancock says former on-screen girlfriend sparked Spider's return
The legendary character returns during Toyah's protest against waste incineration and comes just weeks after the councillor's husband Imran Habeeb died in a car crash. The character is currently on bail after pleading not guilty when she was arrested for murder. But after initially being surprised by his return, Corrie viewers will see the pair catch up and reminisce. But when Toyah breaks down about Imran’s death, she then invites Spider to stay over.
Speaking about being back filming on the long-running soap, Martin told the Manchester Evening News and other press that he was 'extremely nervous' before adding: "I did have sleepless nights and I was very nervous. My first day back was for orientation as it's a new studio, and the first person I bumped into was one of our assistant directors, who was my first when I started originally on the show.
"The first cast members I met were Georgia and Jane [Danson - who plays Leanne]. That was just brilliant. It was like a huge warm blanket of love thrown over me. It was lovely. I was near the dressing rooms and saw some of the older cast members, the years just rolled back!"
And when asked if there were any new cast members from the last time he walked the famous street he'd like to work with, Martin actually revealed his connection to Joe Duttine, who plays Tim Metcalfe in the Salford-based soap. "I haven't stopped nattering to people to be honest with you," he admitted.
He then went on: "Well, he’s not that new, but yes, Joe [Duttine] because I went to drama school with him. In our 30-year careers, we've never worked together. I think his character is brilliant, I love it. It would be great to work with him."
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