Peter Barlow is back on Coronation Street – but is everything as it seems?
Actor Chris Gascoyne promises the character will be as shady as ever upon his return to the cobbles
PETER Barlow's return to Coronation Street isn't a happy affair.
Ken Barlow's wayward son - who is played by Chris Gascoyne - is making a sensational return to the ITV soap after years away and The Sun Online can reveal he's carrying a secret that threatens his relationship with his family and sparks a huge row with his father.
The skipper arrives back in Weatherfield with a story about how he's lost his job and how he's been sober for more than two years, but when he comes face to face with his dad Ken, the pair row and old wounds reopen.
"He's telling everybody that he's been sacked from crewing the ships because he's had a fall out with this guy and that is possibly true but it's not the real reason," Chris revealed.
"Ken is still upset with him for not being there for Simon, so he doesn't get off to a very good start," he added.
"It's a very damaged family, however hard they try and function normally they're always only one step away from an explosion.
"They're trying to avoid the inevitable in that house constantly and that's why it's great.
"There's going to be a lot of personality drama based on what they all want but also what they all share in common, which is Ken, and he's damaged all these children in different ways.
"Ken pushes Peter, then he snaps and lashes out that he wasn't there for him when he was younger, Peter becomes a little boy again around Ken and he hates himself for that but Ken pushes him and I imagine he'll push the others at some point too."
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But Chris added that Peter does want to repair his family relationships, especially with the arrival of his nephew Adam and brother Daniel to the street.
"It will be nice to see the Barlow household full again. After the loss of Annie (Kirkbride), it's felt very sparse. It's always nice to work within a family and there's lots of different personalities there.
"Peter knows who Adam is to a certain extent, although he seems to have changed a lot, but he doesn't know anything about Daniel who just seems to turn up out of the blue," he said.
"Peter wants to put things right and he's really trying, he knows that he's going to walk back into this minefield and he's taking it all on the chin," Chris added.
"He knows he's all these things that they're telling him he is but slowly he's making inroads, he knows he's messed up but he wants a chance to come back and be accepted again."
Catch Coronation Street on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV
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