Coronation Street star Mikey North has addressed his status as a sex symbol in the long-running soap.
Mikey has played former soldier Gary on the cobbles since 2008 and has attracted a fanbase as a heart-throb on the famous cobbles.
Mikey, 35, has seen builder turned debt collector Gary become a soap villain after causing the death of Rana Habeeb in the Underworld factory sabotage.
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He then murdered loan shark Rick Neelan to protect his ex partner Sarah Platt and her family from his gangster boss.
And brooding Gary's journey to the dark side, while fighting for his loved ones, has seen him declared a top Corrie crush.
Mikey says he's been teased by his co-stars Samia Longchambon, who plays Gary's wife Maria, and Kel Allen, who plays Rick's widow Laura, about the appeal of his character.
"Samia takes the mickey out of me. She always says its ladies of a certain age," he told the Manchester Evening News and other press.
"Kel, who plays Laura, she said that she's got an 85-year-old she knows and Gary is her favourite character and all she wants is a signed picture of Gary. I think she's in hospital at the minute.
"She wants a signed picture of Gary by her bedside and she's 85. So there you go."
Gary's world is set to implode in the soap as he finally confesses to Laura that he killed her husband three years ago.
Laura, who is dying of stomach cancer, has hired a private investigator and Gary, who has become a guardian figure to her teenage daughter Kelly, appears to be the prime suspect.
And a horrified Gary learns that Weatherfield County's new training ground is the same location he moved Rick's body to.
Last year Gary took the blame and went to prison for his sister Faye after she attacked Adam Barlow, mistaking him for her rapist boss Ray Crosby.
Asked if Gary could be facing jail again he said: "I've done two or three stints in there now so I'm not looking forward to returning if that is where he's going to go.
"I've done too much time."
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Explaining Gary's drastic actions in becoming a killer he said: "He explains to Laura that, if we're honest about it, it was in self-defence and he was doing it to save himelf but not just himself it was Sarah and he was going to kill Bethany as well.
"He really didn't have any option and he would do it all again if he had the chance.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."
He added: "The things he does he's got a temper on him but it was all for a purpose and a for a reason.
"The murder in particular was all in self defence.
"A lot of the trouble he gets into is him trying to do the right thing.
"He's not doing it for being nasty sake."
Asked if he enjoys playing a villain he said: "When I was younger I said 'I just want to play the bad guy.'
"I think, maybe it's me getting a little bit older, but it's all good doing that but playing this nicer, happy Jack-the-lad, bit of comedy in there, I've definitely started to enjoy that more as I've got older.
"I like the best of both worlds."
