Coronation Street fans were over the moon to see a familiar face join the Cobbles this week which is set to bring exciting times ahead for Jenny Connor.
ITV bosses announced back in January that Holby City star Ben Hull will be joining the star-studded cast, taking on the role of newcomer Owen.
It is understood that the hunk will become a new love interest for the beloved barmaid as things start to heat up this summer.
READ MORE: Corrie fans fume as Sarah ‘gaslights’ young son into lying about sordid Damon affair
As the actor starts his journey in the heart of Weatherfield, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside his life both on and off screen.
Let’s take a look…
Rival soaps
(Image: Channel 4)
Viewers will be surprised to learn that this isn’t the first time the soap legend has strolled through the iconic cobblestones.
The TV star previously appeared on Coronation Street back in 1995, when he was cast in a one-episode arc as a character named Mark Lacey.
He is also known for his Channel 4 role in Hollyoaks when he landed the role of bad boy Lewis Richardson back in 1995.
(Image: Channel 4)
He quickly became a much-loved feature in the show until his departure back in 2001 when producers made the tough decision to kill the character off.
Loyal fans will remember Ben found himself at the centre of a dramatic and controversial storyline which saw his character tragically commit suicide.
He said of the emotional scenes at the time: “When the producer outlined the story of Lewis’ self-destruction, my reaction was ‘Brilliant!’
(Image: BBC)
“Lewis was a good bloke for most of the time, but he’s always been involved in something a little bit dodgy.
“I think we’ve all seen that before, so for me it was better to do something totally unexpected and challenging, rather than just fade away.”
But that wasn’t the end of his soap career, after the dad-of-two joined another soap, Brookside, as Dr Gary Parr.
(Image: BBC)
He stayed with Channel 4 for another year before he moved on to Casualty, where he took on the tole of Dale Charters.
After that, fans followed him to Doctors and Family Affairs before he landed a role on Holby City.
Ben played Derwood Thompson on the show for six years from 2012 where he gripped fans with his dramatic storylines.
This Morning role
(Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
When he bid a fond farewell to the medical drama in 2018, viewers were convinced the star would move onto another soap opera on the silver screen.
But the actor surprised fans when he landed a job on This Morning as a presenter who would regularly update fans on the latest competitions available on the ITV daytime show.
He held the position for several months before he moved on to Travel Channel where he also presented different competitions available to play.
But that’s not where his presenting duties ended, with Ben also landing a number of voice-over roles on Film24, Bid, Angela and Friends and Gala TV where he would introduce upcoming segments on the popular shows.
Ricky Gervais link
(Image: Netflix/ PA Wire)
Viewers didn’t see the actor on the silver screen for a number of years as he threw himself into being a dad and supporting his wife Anna.
But in 2022, the actor made a major TV comeback when he appeared in the third and final series of Ricky Gervais’ Netflix comedy series After Life.
The TV star looked worlds away from his former roles in soaps when he appeared in the six-part series as the potential love interest for Ashley Jenson’s character, Emma.
(Image: Netflix)
Ditching his signature blonde locks, Ben rocked a full head of dark hair and a few more wrinkles since fans last saw him on Holby City as he embodied the role of Jack.
Fans were quick to swarm to Twitter to share their surprise at his appearance on the show, with one asked: “Did anyone else shout out, ‘Christ, it’s that bloke from early Hollyoaks!’ during #afterlife? Lewis!! Good god, we’re old.”
Another agreed: “Cannot tell you how happy it made me to see @benjhull pop up in After Life. Made me feel like I was 13 again watching Hollyoaks.”
(Image: 2022 David M. Benett)
After listening to the lovely feedback from his time on the series, Ben admitted the comic was a personal hero of his and he thoroughly enjoyed his time on the show.
He tweeted: “Having loved ‘After Life’ from the very beginning, I can’t quite believe I got to be a part of it (or indeed that I made the edit!).
“They say ‘never meet your heroes’. I met one of mine and he was amazing. Thank you @rickygervais. You’ve made a rare and beautiful thing #AfterLife3.”
Famous wife
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Outside of his work on the silver screen, Ben is happily married to his loving wife Anna Acton who he lives with in the heart of Buckinghamshire.
But he’s not the only famous face in the Hull family, with the brunette beauty first soaring to fame when she appeared in EastEnders in 2002 as DC Emma Summerhayes.
Like her husband, she has also worked on a number of soap operas including The Bill, Doctors and Casualty.
(Image: TV Grab)
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The happy couple first met on Family Affairs when they shared the screen together on the Channel 5 soap opera back in 1997.
It didn’t take long before sparks flew between them, with the two lovebirds soon tying the knot and welcoming two daughter’s together, Lana and Grace.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
