Coronation Street star Martin Hancock has opened up on the ‘abuse’ he got from viewers the first time around amid his huge soap return.
Martin headed back to the Corrie cobbles earlier this year to reprise his role of Spider Nugent, and almost immediately fell back into bed with his old flame Toyah Habeeb.
But it has now been revealed that Spider is an undercover cop working with the police – and the revelation is set to rock Toyah’s world after her relationship with husband Imran was destroyed by lies.
READ MORE: Corrie’s Georgia Taylor spills dark Toyah car crash secret as truth about Imran exposed
Martin admitted that the second time around, things have been a lot more “pleasant” in terms of work, despite suffering sleepless nights ahead of his Corrie return.
Speaking to Daily Star and other press, he admitted: “Second time around I’m older and wiser and calmer. I’m able to enjoy it a lot more.
“It’s been really very pleasant and lovely, working with Georgia [Taylor] again and Jane [Danson]. I do really really love working with them. And a lot of the crew are the same as well, so it’s lovely seeing everyone again. It’s all very positive.”
He continued: “In public, it’s been really nice. It’s not been as abusive as the first time around, so far! People have been very very kind, and they are really happy to see Spider back.
“I think people are quite concerned that I make sure Toyah’s okay. Everyone is very concerned about Toyah,” he added.
It comes after Martin admitted that nerves were getting the better of him initially, telling press: “I suppose that a really sensible response is really exciting and a little bit scary.
“I did have sleepless nights, and I was very, very nervous. And then, my first day back before we actually started filming, I came in for orientation because obviously, it’s a new studio from the one that I was at.”
And how did he feel keeping Spider’s secret all to himself? Martin explained to us: “It’s been hilarious trying to keep it to myself. The amount of sleuth work that my friends have been getting up to trying to work out what it is, and some of the things they do to try and wheedle it out of you.
“It’s been difficult but fun, and I’ve enjoyed some of the speculation that people are coming up with.”
What does he think about Spider’s decision to join the police force, though?
“It’s a strange one, because there comes a point where you think, ‘Maybe I could get more done inside the system.’
“So I did wonder what the backstory was – I can’t give it all away but there’s quite a powerful backstory as to why Spider joins the police. In my mind it works, even though he’s had a few run-ins himself and he hasn’t exactly been an angel.”
Teasing what more is to come of the storyline, Martin said: “There are a few issues in the world today that we’re going to address, there’s some quite nasty stuff going on, and we’re going to start dipping into some of that.
“At the same time it’s still Spider but he’s just getting, in a way, even more radical, because he’s going after some really dangerous stuff.”
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
