We Haven't Even Got Started...

Connor McIntyre on playing Coronation Street’s darkest villain yet – and why there are more dastardly deeds to come…

- Alison Slade

SOAP

Coronation Street

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY / ITV / 7.30PM, 8.30PM

Connor McIntyre has discovered an unfortunate consequence of playing a baddie.

While some Corrie fans are tickled pink when they bump into him, others are a bit spooked to come face-to-face with the man who plays Pat Phelan. Some people don’t even need to set eyes on the actor to get the jitters – all it takes is to hear Connor’s voice.

‘I look very different out of work with my hat and glasses on, so I don’t always get recognised,’ explains the Liverpool-born star. ‘But often, I can be in a queue at the supermarket, and the moment I speak, three or four people turn round and go: “It’s him!” ‘The times it gets disturbing for me is when I see an older person whose memory’s not great any more. They register that it’s a memory and they can’t quite locate it, but they know it’s not a pleasant one. It’s just for those few seconds. Obviously, I’m on that as quickly as I can be, and I say, “It’s okay, I’m just the guy who plays that horrible fella; don’t worry!”’