Coronation Street legend worlds away from Peter Barlow as he stages TV return
Fans of Channel 5 drama All Creatures Great and Small couldn’t believe their eyes watching the latest episode, as Coronation Street star Chris Gascoyne appeared.
Chris is best known for playing the role of Peter Barlow in the ITV soap. He portrayed the role on and off from 2000, and departed the cobbles in 2023.
Everything changed for Peter when he killed Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) after hitting him with his car. Peter wasn’t sentenced to prison, which meant he had to deal with living in Weatherfield and walking past the scene of the incident everyday.
As a result of this, Peter started to struggle. He was tempted to hit the bottle and relapse, but knew he’d be throwing away months of hard work and recovery.
With Carla Connor (Alison King) growing aware of Peter’s mindset, she decided to buy him a one-way ticket to Spain for his Christmas present.
The plan was for Peter to leave and join his friend abroad for a new job. When Carla gave the ticket to him, Peter was taken aback to realise that she wouldn’t be leaving as well, but ultimately understood that Carla was setting him free so he could be happier.
Just before Peter left, a special episode aired that focused solely on him and Carla. It allowed them to look back at their life together and was incredibly emotional.
‘We’re filming solidly together for two days’, Alison King previously said.
‘There was a lot to learn. But aside from that it was amazing, but it was so emotional, I did not need any tearstick for those scenes. There was no way of knowing what would happen because every time we did it I literally filled up with emotion and started crying at different times in every scene.
‘Even though it doesn’t go into specific details of all their past, it shows what they’re like, as a couple. It was really nice to have that much time on them because people seem to enjoy them just having a conversation.
‘It was something to get our teeth into with all the emotions and it was a real journey. It was really, really lovely to do those scenes.’
Following Peter’s departure, Chris has featured in Panto and the Channel 5 drama The Feud.
Chris returned to Channel 5 this week, this time to appear in the latest series of All Creatures Great and Small.
The actor played the role of Harry Coker, the proprietor of a dog track who required a vet surgeon.
James Herriot decided to take on the position and travelled to Hensfield Racetrack, with the aim of earning extra money.
When James arrived though, he became concerned when he examined the whippets. Worried about their wellbeing, James concluded one animal was being mistreated for financial gain.
All Creatures Great and Small is currently airing its sixth series. It stars the likes of Rachel Shenton, Anna Madeley and Nicholas Ralph.
