Exclusive: Jack P Shepherd’s one simple trick to help him survive the Coronation Street cull
Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd (David Platt) celebrates 25 years on the ITV soap ahead of next week's explosive fire at the Platts - but it comes just weeks after good friend Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) got the axe
He’s spent 25 years as David Platt, one of Coronation Street’s most iconic characters, but cobbles star Jack P Shepherd admits that he’d never have anything to do with his alter ego in real life.
“He’s too hard work, he’s an idiot and an a******e,” Jack laughs. “I wouldn’t go anywhere near him, for love nor money.
“He’s a massive control freak, he stresses, he panics and he’s so rash with his decision making. He’s always so ‘woe is me’ as well. I wouldn’t be friends with him, God no, he’d do my head in!”
Luckily millions of viewers disagree, having loved David’s transformation from the cheeky bunny-loving nine year-old we met in 2000, to one of the most troubled characters in the show’s history – his long list of misdemeanours include smashing up the street, a faked suicide, blackmail and famously pushing his mum Gail down the stairs.
Who needs enemies….? An emotional David Platt destroys his friend Nick Tilsey’s flat. No wonder – Jack P Shepherd isn’t a fan
And Jack’s anniversary year has certainly got off to an explosive start. Next week, the viewers will see the Platt house go up in flames with at least one character expected to die. Early teasers of the shocking scenes have already been making headlines, with many quick to question what David’s part in the drama might be….
It’s just one of dozens of juicy plots, Jack , 37, has been involved with.
The dad of two, who lives in Manchester with his fiancée Hanni Treweek, says: “I was 12 when I joined.
“I don’t remember all the storylines but I do remember the laughter, the conversations and the people. That’s why I’ve stayed so long – because I have such a good time.”
Jack, who took over the role from child actor Thomas Ormson, still never takes the job for granted. It’s especially poignant now, after the soap has seen five big name departures and counting in recent months. So far, he’s only one way he’s found to cope with the constant fear of the hangman’s noose.
“You can’t become too settled, because that’s when they’ll let you go!” he laughs.
ITV’s Coronation Street has teased fans with first look pictures of next week’s fire. Will there be anything left of the Platts’ house? (
ITV)
“You’ve always got to be prepared that you might get called upstairs and told your character has run its course. “If that happens it’s fine.
“I’ve been lucky enough to do 25 years; there’s not many in the cast who have been there that long. But you can never rest on your laurels and think: ‘I’m here to stay.’
“Helen Worth (Jack’s screen mother Gail) never did. She never knew if they would renew her contract. I used to say to her: ‘of course they will.’
“But she was never confident. And I’m the same. When my contract is up for renewal, I get a bit nervous – everybody does.
“But that’s good. It shows you’re not too comfortable and that you’re always ready if the s**t hits the fan and they say: ‘you’re done.’ That way you’re already mentally prepared and you move on to the next thing.”
Gail Platt (Helen Worth) had amnesia after son David Platt (Jack) pushed her down the stairs in the Noughties
Helen Worth exited the show at Christmas after 50 years and Paddy Bever, who plays David’s screen son Max, will also leave shortly. “He’s done three years, he’s 21, he’s no kids or commitments and he wants to go and have a little go elsewhere,” Jack explains.
Away from the cobbles Jack co-hosts the popular podcast On The Sofa with Colson, Jack and Ben, with co-stars Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Ben Price (Nick Tilsley).
“It’s being going for seven years, which is a long time for a podcast,” Jack says proudly.
The trio are close, but it was recently announced that Colson was being written out of the show. “I was upset when I heard. You would be when it’s anybody you’re close to,” Jack says.
Jack with Colson Smith and Ben Price
“I never thought he’d get the call, but he’s done 14 years when he only came in for two episodes. I’m sure he’ll move on to some good stuff, maybe presenting or radio – he’s got lots of fingers in lots of pies.”
For Jack, 2025 will be dedicated to making the most of his 25th year in the show. The actual anniversary falls on March 15 but he’s got enough memories to make it a year-long celebration. Here, he talks us through the very best of his Cobbles’ highlights…
2000 – King Charles’s schoolboy error
“I’d just joined when Prince Charles visited to mark Coronation Street’s 40th anniversary. I was 12 and playing a nine year-old. They said I had to be in character, so I was wearing school uniform. He said to me: ‘What are you doing here?’ And he asked who my parents were – I think he thought I was the son of somebody who worked there!”
Isn’t One a cutie? The young Jack meets the then Prince Charles, with onscreen sister Tina O’Brien (
Daily Mirror)
Jack’s Oscar-winning performance….pretending to like David’s bunny Barney (
ITV / Rex Features)
2001 – Jack’s frosty relationship with David’s bunny Barney
“I hated that rabbit, I really did. It used to bite me during scenes when I was holding it. I was never a kid who liked those sorts of animals, I preferred dogs and cats, but David loved it, so it required a lot of acting to pretend I liked it!”
2003 – Fancy a dip, Jack?
“We filmed this in the Manchester canal in February and it was so cold that they had to break the ice before they submerged me and Tina (O’Brien). Coronation Street’s health and safety wouldn’t allow you to break the ice and put two kids in a canal these days!
Tina O’Brien and Jack P Shepherd film the Platts’ infamous crash into the canal, thanks to villain Richard Hillman (
ITV)
“Richard Hillman was trying to kill David and the rest of the Platts. We had to have inoculations so we didn’t catch anything from the rats’ pee in the canal!”
2007 – Kiss Me Kate!
“My head fell off when I heard David and Tracy were going to snog. Kate Ford was 30 and I was 19, but David was only 16.
Scheming Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) kisses schoolboy David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) in a shock storyline from 2007 (
ITV/Shutterstock)
“I didn’t want to say anything to Kate in case she went: ‘Eew! Gross! I’m going to tell the producers I’m not doing that!’ When the day came, I was quite nervous, but Kate was more nervous. She walked in and she said: ‘Oh my God you’re in school uniform! This is weird!”
2008 – Pushing his luck
“When they said: ‘Action’ the stunt double who played Gail whispered: ‘Push me.’ I thought she would just fall herself. She was standing with her back to the stairs and said she needed me to physically push her. It was really weird.
David Platt pushes mum Gail – or rather a stunt double – down the stairs (
PA)
But it wasn’t the first time David had been on the wrong side of the law. The year before he’d ended up in court (
ITV)
“I remember for a few weeks after, if I was at the top of an escalator at a shopping centre, people would give me odd looks and move away!”
2010 – Getting shade from Camilla
Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, visits the Corrie set in 2010 – and had plenty to say to Jack and co-star Michelle Keegan (
ITV)
“Camilla visited the set for our 50th anniversary celebrations. She said she watched the show, so she knew who our characters were – I was impressed by that. She said to me: ‘I know you – you’re the naughty one!’”
2016 – The Death of Kylie Platt
“This was the most perfect episode I’ve ever had. David’s wife Kylie was dying in his arms on the cobbles after being stabbed and he let out an animal cry. I actually stole it from Al Pacino in The Godfather Part III.
Kylie Platt, played by Paula Lane, died in husband David’s arms in 2016 (
ITV/Shutterstock)
When his daughter gets shot on the theatre steps he holds her in his arms and screams out.”
2019 – Sue’s His Girl
Jack’s David was framed for stealing money from gran Audrey (Sue Nicholls) in 2019 – making for one of the pair’s best storylines
“Sue Nicholls, who plays my gran Audrey, is a marvellous actress, but she always thinks what she’s doing is rubbish. I always tell her she’s doing a brilliant job, which she is. I think she quite likes working with me and I love working with her; we have such a laugh. The two characters have a special relationship too; they’re very close.”
2025, airing next week – Burning Down The House: The Platts’ are on fire
“I feel privileged to be involved in huge storylines like this. To film this, they put flame bars inside the house on the cobbles – they’re pipes that allow controllable flames.
The Platts’ big fire airs as a continuous episode across next week (
ITV)
“For the interior scenes, they built a replica set of the Platt house, which they put inside the Underworld factory on the street and then burnt down.”
AND FINALLY….David’s Infamous Death Stare
Someone needs to turn their frown upside down….David Platt in true bad guy mode (
Publicity Picture)
“This came about by accident. I’d stayed up really late the night before and I had these dark bags under my eyes and it made me look demonic.
“I quite liked that, so whenever I had a scene where David was being evil, I’d stay up late. They then started writing it in the scripts, but it has to come naturally. You can’t force these things. I improvise all the time and add in lines or change things on the spur of the moment. It keeps it fresh and makes you laugh and adds something new and different.”
