ITV Coronation Street Roy Cropper’s first ever scene on soap has fans saying same thing
Coronation Street viewers were left gobsmacked after stumbling upon a clip of the iconic Roy Cropper’s inaugural appearance on the ITV soap.
Roy, portrayed by David Neilson, first graced our screens in 1995, introduced as Deirdre Barlow’s (Anne Kirkbride) neighbour in a block of flats. He quickly endeared himself to viewers and became a fan favourite.
Throughout his impressive 29-year tenure on the beloved soap, the cafe proprietor has been central to numerous pivotal storylines. Most memorable was his marriage to Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh). The couple united in the late nineties and remained together until Hayley’s heartbreaking demise in 2014.
It’s safe to say that Roy’s stint in Weatherfield has been anything but dull. Particularly in the past year, which saw Roy behind bars in March, reports Lancs Live. The much-loved cafe owner was arrested and accused of murdering young Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton).
However, it later transpired that Lauren was alive, leading to Roy’s release from prison and the charges being dropped. Recently, Coronation Street fans unearthed footage of Roy’s very first soap scene back in 1995. And they all seem to be echoing the same sentiment.
One fan shared a snippet of his debut on TikTok. In the clip, Roy is seen conversing with Deirdre Barlow, who had recently moved into a block of flats. Fans were quick to express their astonishment at his initial scene and how different Roy sounded back then.
“He sounds so different,” remarked a stunned viewer. Another simply dropped an exploding head emoji to capture their shock, while a third weighed in: “He sounds so different. He still has touches of it now but very different.”
The man behind Roy Cropper, actor David Neilson, was initially roped in for just half a dozen episodes, but thanks to his devoted wife Jane’s insights he managed to flesh out his character with more layers. Spilling the beans on Roy’s early days, he disclosed: “Roy was a psychopath.”
Chilling stuff as he continued, “He was stalking Deirdre and was a bit scary. It’s nice to play psychos but they don’t stay around too long,” Then came the revelation that changed everything. Neilson elaborated: “My wife is a special needs teacher and she worked with people with autism. She said Roy could have Asperger’s syndrome, making him socially inept, rather than menacing.”
