Jack P Shepherd has played the role of David Platt on the ITV soap since he was a child – but fans were worried about his future on the show.

Coronation Street stalwart Jack P Shepherd, famed for his portrayal of David Platt since 2000, sent fans into a frenzy after causing them to “panic” with news of his potential exit.

Shepherd’s character David has evolved remarkably from the mischievous lad wreaking havoc on his family to a more grounded family man, tying the knot with Shona Turner and striving to guide his son, Max Turner, down the right path.

Yet, this week saw David embroiled in fresh turmoil as he became entangled in Nick Tilsley and Toyah Battersby’s secret affair, which was exposed by a furious Leanne Battersby. In a tense scene from Wednesday’s episode, David urged Nick to end the affair after a close call with Shona.

The drama peaked during Max’s 18th birthday celebration when Leanne stormed into the bistro to confront her unfaithful partner. Off-screen, Jack enjoys a far more tranquil life than his alter ego and is an active presence on Instagram, boasting 395,000 followers.

This week, he delighted fans with a charming throwback post, sharing a childhood school photo with the caption: “Age 8,” reports the Liverpool Echo.

His on-screen wife, Shona, played by Julia Goulding, couldn’t resist commenting on the post, saying “Stop it! Lil cutie.”

Former co-star Catherine Tyldesley also chimed in, adding “Omg stop.”

The post was liked by several of Jack’s close friends and co-stars, including Tina O’Brien, Alan Halsall, and Samia Longchambon.

Now Jack’s podcast, On The Sofa, which he hosts alongside co-stars Ben Price and Colson Smith, has returned for a new season. The trio announced the news, saying “WE’RE BACK AND BIGGER THAN EVER! You can now listen to us THREE times a week!” Fans were thrilled, with one commenting “About time… I was starting to worry!” Another added “How did I not know this? I’m going to go find it.”

He plays a loveable rogue (Image: Getty)

Others expressed their excitement, saying “Glad ya back boys missed you,” and “So happy you’re all back!!”Colson Smith has opted for a hair transplant ahead of the new season, while his co-star Jack P. Shepherd previously underwent the same procedure in 2019.

Shepherd courageously shared with his Instagram followers the immense pressure of being in the spotlight, confessing that it had severely impacted his self-esteem to the extent that he contemplated leaving Coronation Street and abandoning his acting career.

He announced the return of his podcast (Image: Getty)

He disclosed to his fans: “I decided to get it done as it was affecting my mental health. To the point where I considered giving up acting and not being in the public eye.”

After facing a barrage of “hurtful” online criticism, Jack went through a second hair transplant operation a year later, defending his decision by saying: “I know some people will say that I am being incredibly vain having a second hair transplant so quickly after the first one. All I can say to that was that I needed to do it for my long-term mental well-being. I have been in Corrie for 20 years now – ever since I was 12.”

He opened up about the challenges of his role and the impact of social media scrutiny, stating: “I know I have been incredibly lucky and love working with such a fantastic group of actors but the relentless schedules take their toll on your mental health, particularly when you have been through as much trauma as David Platt. People pick over your appearance on social media every day and some of those comments really hurt.”

He recently underwent a hair transplant (Image: Getty)

Now feeling more content than ever on the show, Jack is eager to see what the future holds for his character David. He has previously expressed to the Liverpool Echo that the adaptability of his character has been crucial to his sustained presence on the series.

He remarked: “In order to keep the character in the show he couldn’t be bad all the time. He was quite bad when he was in his teens and the show wanted to keep hold of the character so they had to ultimately stop that character being bad. You can always understand his behaviour and understand the reasons for his behaviour.”

Additionally, he noted: “He’s a proper mix and he can be be quite funny. People like to laugh I suppose and they can relate to him. He also has his struggles which I think people can relate to as well. He’s a loveable rogue.”