A former Coronation Street star will be returning to screens next week, but you’ll be totally forgiven for not recognising him.
Jake Parry will tumble from a car onto the infamous cobbles as Damo, who’ll play a part in the debut of Idris Nazir (Junade Khan), but it’s not the first time he’s been seen in Weatherfield.
Alongside brother, Oscar, Jake previously played the part of Simon Barlow as a baby, 23 years ago, when the character was born to Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and Lucy Richards (Katy Carmichael).
Simon was written out upon Lucy moving to Australia and taking him with her, before returning after her off-screen death, this time with the role being played by Alex Bain, who stayed on the street until 2024.
Taking to TikTok with a preview of his appearance, Jake captioned the clip: ‘It’s a pleasure and an honor to be back on this great show, DAMO is coming next week’
In the comment section, he clarified: ‘For anyone wondering I played Simon Barlow with my brother when I was a baby, I have now [come] back as a different character DAMO which is out next week.’
He further added that Damo will make an appearance in the episode airing May 26.
Jake has maintained a steady career since his infant role, appearing in films such as The Awakening and It Feels Like This alongside TV roles in Red Rose, Doctors, and Mount Pleasant.
Damo will debut in the same episode as Idris, the cousin of Alya Nazir (Sair Khan), who makes an immediate impression on future love interest, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson).
When a group of rowdy business men drop curry on Brody Michaelis’ (Ryan Mulvey) trainers in Speed Daal, Idris steps in and sees to it that they remunerate the teen for the damage.
Revealing that he’s purchased a property agency in Manchester, he’s met with pleas from Brody for a job opportunity, before crossing with Damo and dragging the youngster into a ginnel.
Junade previously teased what we can expect from Idris: ‘He’s multi-layered and incredibly ambitious. As a child, he suffered a lot of hardship and neglect, so he’s had to overcome those obstacles entirely on his own.
‘He’s a lone wolf – the black sheep of the family who has made a name for himself.
‘He’s addicted to success and the finer things in life, but there’s a real vulnerability there, too. It’s the first time I’ve played a character where I can show that side, which is a great gift for an actor.’
On the connection between Idris and Leanne, he said: ‘They actually recognise each other from a family wedding where they sat at the same table.
‘He’s used to flashy people, but when he sees Leanne fending off a group of guys who aren’t paying their bill, he sees a strength in her that he admires.
‘It reminds him of his own mother, who raised him as a single parent. He sees a strength in Leanne that he probably wishes he’d had in his own life. Working with Jane Danson has been amazing; even on her day off, she came in to meet me. She’s really made this experience special.’
Like Jake, Idris isn’t Junade’s first Corrie character; he previously appeared nearly twenty years ago.
‘It was back in 2008, I joined Corrie for a very short stint as a love interest for Rosie Webster.
‘She’d been kidnapped by John Stape (Graeme Hawley), and we met in a nightclub. My character was called Saj, though Helen Flanagan called me ‘Sarge’ which was funny!
‘I remember being in the Rovers with Sally [Metcalfe], Gail [Platt] and Carla [Connor-Swain]. Coming back now, I saw Alison King and said, ‘I’ve seen you before!’ It’s a bit surreal, but it feels right to be back.’
