Coronation Street star asks show legend to ‘come back already’ and fans are in agreement
Back in the day, Coronation Street fans went to war over who Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) truly belonged with: was it Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) or Carla Connor-Swain (Alison King)?
Of course it matters much less now, with Peter having departed the street in 2023, while Leanne is currently involved with the slightly sinister Idris Nazir (Junade Khan) and Carla has found love with new wife, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers).
Still, if Peter hadn’t left for pastures new, would we still be having the same discussion? One thing’s for sure, we know he wouldn’t have ended up with Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor).
Clearly feeling a bit nostalgic, and embracing the forgotten trend of #throwbackthursday, Chris took to Instagram to share a clip of his Coronation Street days, in which his alter-ego, following a relapse in his constant battle with alcoholism, goes head to head with his step mum and sister, Deirdre and Tracy Barlow (Anne Kirkbride and Kate Ford).
He captioned the reel: ‘A clip from the old days at Corrie! Tracy’s last line always makes me laugh’
In the comments below, Jane made a simple plea: ‘Come back already Peter’.
Jane found much support in the replies; @andielcfcsutton said: ‘Agreed!’, @dawsonstevie agreed: ‘Yes!’ and @dreamyfleur_ added: ‘He can be with Leanne again’.
@jen_shaw88 said: ‘Yes! We need our Peter back!’ while @ox.sammy.ox agreed: ‘peter and leanne again! bring it back!’
Elsewhere in the comments, @shamone11 said: ‘Peter Barlow has always been my favourite Corrie character…would love to see you back’, while @emily_thedancer concurred: ‘You was my absolute favourite in Corrie please make a comeback’.
@katrinemoran agreed: ‘forever missing peter. corrie’s not been the same since’, while @yurty_aherne was a little suspicious: ‘Is this a tease?’.
Peter’s Coronation Street exit
The beginning of the end for Peter came as he struggled in the aftermath of killing serial killer Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) after he took Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) hostage.
He struggled deeply with his mental health in the aftermath, with his lifelong battle with alcoholism rearing its ugly head once again.
Attempting to ‘reinforce his sobriety’, Peter arranged to meet the mother of the man who’d donated his liver, who urged him to not waste his second chance at life.
As Peter realised that his relationship with Carla was reaching a conclusion and he felt trapped and stifled remaining in Weatherfield, it became incredibly clear that his time on Coronation Street was winding down.
In a gut-wrenching episode over Christmas, Carla realised she had to set Peter free and bought him a one way ticket to Spain, reasoning that she’d been watching him fade away while stuck on the street.
As the pair shared an emotional goodbye on Boxing Day, Peter took the tram out of Manchester and prepared to undertake a brand new life, excitement mixed with heartbreak as he left behind the street that he’d longed to escape.
Upon his exit, Chris said: ‘The thing that upset me though was walking away from the people I work with and I don’t just mean the actors. I’ve known all these people for nearly half my life.’
‘I’ve grown up with so many people there but I need a rest and to look to do something different, I’m not getting any younger.’
