TV villain 'emotional' about Coronation Street role

Walking along Coronation Street's iconic cobble streets was "quite emotional" for Welsh actor Nathan Sussex.

As Hollyoaks' villain Buster, he's no stranger to appearing in big roles on the small screen but even he found being on the soap opera set a pinch-me moment.

"To be there, like doing a job there, walking down these famous cobbles, honestly, it really gets to you," he said.

"Corrie means so much to so many people. It is a national institution. We've all grown up on it at some point in our lives."

He said storyline writers had yet to tell him what's ultimately in store for his character, Richie Parkinson, who's involved in a murder investigation.

But he told BBC Radio Wales' Lucy Owen that the storyline could build up toward the ITV show's popular Christmas episodes.

Sussex won TV's Villain of the Year for his role in Hollyoaks in 2019.

He has also appeared in a host of other shows including Casualty, Emmerdale, It's a Sin and Men Up, among others.

Sussex from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, said he grew up watching Corrie in the 1980s, with characters like barmaid Bet Lynch whom he described as an "icon", famous for her beehive hairstyle and giant earrings.

The Welshman appeared briefly in Corrie as a medic in 2007. But this time his character seems to have a more central role.

He is cousin to Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) who is married to Sally and they take in his daughter as the murder investigation continues.

"When you get a job like this, they kind of tell you the story arc.

"But, of course, because it's a new storyline, I only know stuff up until a certain period.

"I've been kind of given sort of a brief [that] this is what could happen, but I don't know myself," said Sussex.

"All I know is it's quite a big Christmas hook, and you know the dream, I would love to be in Coronation Street on Christmas Day.

"While you're tucking into your Ferrero Rochers or your Roses, yes, I'll be on your screens. I don't know. Perhaps.

"Isn't that the dream?"