Series producer Kate Brooks told the ECHO and other press about the familiar face’s return
Carla Connor and DS Lisa Swain’s romance is set to hit a stumbling block after a star’s shock return to Coronation Street was confirmed. Fans have been thrilled to see the love blossom between the characters, played by Alison King and Vicky Myers.
The two have recently went public with their relationship in the Cobbles and it seemed as though they were about to enjoy a settled period. However, new show boss, Kate Brooks, has confirmed the settled period is short lived as Rob Donovan will soon make his return to Weatherfield.
Marc Baylis is set to reprise his role as the villainous character, who had been serving time in prison for the murder of Tina McIntyre, played by Michelle Keegan. Speaking on his return, Kate said: “We last left Rob languishing in prison. He made mistakes. He comes back to the show and we think he might be a reformed character, who has seen the error of his ways. Whether that’s the case or not, we don’t know.
“But he definitely comes back and causes a lot of trouble for Carla and Lisa. Just when Carla and Lisa think it’s safe to sit down and watch Netflix, Rob Donovan comes along and scuppers it.”
Rob is Carla’s estranged brother, who appeared on the show between 2012 and 2017 – and Kate is looking forward to delve into their relationship. She added: “We really explore that through this story. But there is so many twists and turns along the way. It’s going to be eventful for Carla and Lisa.”
Rob approaches Bobby in the prison visiting room
Kate teased the 2025 spoilers as she was officially unveiled as the show’s new series producer. She was confirmed as the new series producer on the long-running ITV show earlier this year.
Weatherfield’s new boss hails from Liverpool and previously worked on Corrie before she made the move to Emmerdale in 2017. Kate returned to the Cobbles from the Yorkshire village this year when she replaced former Executive Producer, Iain MacLeod, who has taken up a new role at ITV as head of Continuing Drama for both Corrie and Emmerdale.
Speaking about her vision for the show, she told: “I’ve made no attempt to disguise that I love Coronation Street.
“I’m a fan. I just really want to make sure the audiences are entertained. It’s important that we tell gritty, issue led stories and we’ve got them coming up in abundance.
“Ultimately it’s about packaging them in the right way and keeping them fresh and different without losing the DNA of Corrie. For me, what makes Corrie so wonderful is the familiarity of it, the wit and the characters. All of these stories will be packaged with that in mind.”
