Coronation Street star Brian Capron breaks silence on villain Richard Hillman’s Christmas return

Brian Capron, 77, has opened up about what to expect from tonight’s Christmas Day special of Coronation Street.

The actor – who plays Gail Platt’s villainous ex-husband, Richard Hillman, on the show – seemed to have left the cobbles for good in 2003. Now, though, he’s returned to see out Helen Worth’s final appearance on the ITV soap. Richard’s return likely won’t be good news for Gail, after his last scene over two decades ago saw him seemingly die after his plan to murder her, Sarah, David, and Bethany by drowning failed.

Speaking of filming his shock return, Brian told The Sun: “It was a lovely experience, they’ve written a very clever scene.” The Grange Hill star added that it was “tricky” to figure out how to bring his character back from what appeared to be a clean cut death, but that the soap’s writing team figured out how to reintroduce Richard seamlessly, and “came up trumps.”

Brian also praised the “dark humour” they brought back – which was classic of Richard – alongside the character’s “slight hint of menace.” He gushed: “I thought they balanced it perfectly.”

The actor touched on his relationship with Helen, who’s calling time on Coronation Street after 50 years playing Gail on the show. “I think we have a very special relationship which is why the Hillman storyline worked out so beautifully,” he said. He added that Helen helped give “dimension” to Richard despite the man’s simmering evil, and that he loved returning to work with her for the festive special.

Brian’s return came on Christmas Eve, when Gail, waking from a nap on her sofa, discovered a man rummaging through her sideboard and initially assumed it’s her fiance Jessie. However, the reality is far more terrifying as she realised it was in fact Richard. “Try again,” the man suggested, adding: “I see you’ve changed the carpet in here.”

Coronation Street bosses went to extreme lengths to keep Richard’s return a secret. They decided it was best to film the scenes on a closed set, with only a couple of crew, and of course, Helen. Brian also hid under blankets and ducked down in the back of the car when entering and leaving the set.

Gail’s final episode will be a nail-biter, but the show hasn’t given any specific details about what to expect. The episode will revolve around the beloved character’s wedding to Jesse Chadwick – and whether or not she’ll go through with the exchanging of rings at all.

Many of the Platts have already made their disapproval of Jesse clear, with Gail unsure about her plans to move to France with him. Gail’s family gathers for her wedding to Jesse, but no spoilers have been given about whether she decides to say her vows. The fan-favourite’s exit from the show is also a secret, with producers not revealing whether Gail’s departure is thanks to a happy ending or not.