Coronation Street’s Chesney is getting new neighbours Mick and Lou Michaelis on the ITV soap – however, he’s yet to discover the shocking truth behind the character’s real identity

Coronation Street has announced the arrival of new characters Mick and Lou Michaelis, who’ll be moving next to Chesney and Gemma on the cobbles. However, fans will be shocked to learn that Mick already has a sinister link to the Corrie favourite, unbeknownst to Chesney.

Mick and Lou Michaelis are set to become Chesney and Gemma’s new neighbours, with Farrel Hegarty and Joe Layton playing the incoming couple. While Lou strikes up a friendship with Gemma ( Dolly-Rose Campbell ) after recognising each other from Bessie Street School, where their kids attend, Corrie fans will soon realise who Mick truly is.

Over the last few months, Chesney has found himself stalked by a mystery man with a van – who will be revealed to be Mick. “After developing a friendship with the Winter-Browns, it’s evident that Mick and Lou are determined to create upheaval, starting with a prior connection to Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), leading to them exposing his secretive past,” ITV has teased.

Mick and Lou Michaelis are arriving on Coronation Street as Chesney’s new neighbours

Speaking about the new role, Brassic star Farrel said: “I’m delighted and so grateful to be joining the cast of Coronation Street. I have genuinely been blown away by how ridiculously warm and nice everyone is.

“Lou is definitely an exciting character to play because she’s got good and bad parts to her, she’s a life force and full of beans. She’s a very colourful person who likes to make waves and try to cause chaos. But she also has that strong family loyalty, especially between Mick and Lou, they are thick as thieves and will stick up for each other, even when they probably shouldn’t…”

Meanwhile Joe – who previously appeared in Casualty and Father Brown – added: “Coronation Street is such an institute in British television and to get to walk down the cobbles in Mick’s shoes is so exciting. To also do it alongside Farrel is awesome – we are having great fun together and connecting really well whilst developing our characters.

“It also gives the opportunity to get a look behind the curtain of this huge machine and be a small cog within the big picture of Coronation Street and to work alongside people who take such pride in their work. It’s just a really happy place, friendly and welcoming. I’m going to relish every moment of it.”

Chesney has been harassed by a mystery man with a van – who is revealed to be Mick (Image: ITV)

At the end of last year, fans were convinced that they had solved who was secretly harassing Chesney when Corrie boss Kate Brooks teased the arrival of Lou and Mick. “We’ve got some great characters coming in. They are Mick and Lou. They’re coming to live at the back of Chesney, on Maudsley Street, across the ginnell,” she said at the time.

“They are live wires, they are ruffians, they are going to cause a lot of damage and a lot of chaos. There is a link to Chesney initially, but they are coming to stir up a lot of trouble, and open up the floodgates and unpack the past of one of our big characters, which is Kit.”

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV1 and ITVX.