Henry is Gemma’s wealthy ex-boyfriend (Picture: ITV)

Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) is playing with fire after taking on a job from her ex-boyfriend Henry Newton.

The pair had an on-off relationship through 2017 and 2018 which saw Henry pursue Gemma as part of a cruel bet, eventually realising he had true feelings for her when it was too late.

He left the soap in 2018, but following her recent babysitting scandal and the loss of her job, Gemma took an offer to work for the brewery businessman.

Now, the Newton & Ridley brewery heir is returning to Coronation Street – leaving Gemma’s new husband Chesney Brown (Sam Aston) speechless.

Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) is pinning all her hopes on Henry buying The Rovers Return and saving the pub’s future as they suffer financial difficulties – but will the business be his priority?

As we prepare for Henry’s return, many may need a refresher on who he is and who plays him. Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Henry Newton in Coronation Street?

Henry is the son of Philip Newton (Malcolm Scates) and the grandson of former Newton & Ridley director Cecil Newton (Kenneth Alan Taylor and George Baker).

Henry entered the soap in 2017 (Picture: ITV)

He is also the ex-boyfriend of Gemma, who first caught his attention when he entered the soap in 2017 at a house party.

Daunted by Henry, Gemma pretended her name was Jemima and that she was a nurse. In a Cinderella twist, Gemma fled the party after believing the police had arrived to arrest her for stealing an ornament, leaving her shoe behind with Henry seeking his princess in Weatherfield after the fact.

After going to The Kabin in search of his mystery woman, Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) realised who Henry was searching for and directed him to The Rovers where he finally found Gemma, asking her to meet up in the future.

Their relationship ran smoothly until 2018 when he expressed his distaste for weddings when the couple attended the nuptials of Chesney and Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn), something that led Gemma to dump him on the spot.

She took him back eventually, though all was not as it seemed as he received a call from his friend Hugo Crowhurst (Adam Jowett) saying that he would win their bet, revealing that he was only dating Gemma as part of a cruel ruse.

He begins to enjoy spending time with Gemma, however, and develops genuine feelings for her. Chesney realised what Henry had been doing, telling Gemma about the bet which led her to end their relationship and Henry to leave Weatherfield.

Henry returned later in the same year and went on to develop a plan to buy the pub, but Jenny and Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) ended up securing the business instead.

Experiencing financial problems, Henry then attempted to get revenge by threatening to sue Johnny and Jenny.

The last time we saw Henry was back in 2018 when he disappeared after being kidnapped by some gangsters when his past caught up with him after leaving his former fiance Cressida out of pocket in a bid to be with Gemma.

Who plays him?

George Banks is set to return to the role of Henry when he comes back to Weatherfield.

George Banks will reprise his role as Henry – but only for a guest stint (Picture: ITV)

Aside from his work on the soap, the actor has also appeared in the 2020 film Badnaam and Patrick Swayze: Ghosts and Demons.

He also lent his voice to the character of Lee Jordan in the 2003 Harry Potter video game Quidditch World Cup as well as its 2004 follow-up Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.

The star has opened up on how ‘excited’ he was to receive the call from Corrie producers reintroducing his character for a guest stint.

‘‘You know I loved playing Henry before, he’s a character who brings a lot of fun and is a lot of fun to play. And I had such a wonderful time working on the show last time and I miss all the people up there. So I was thrilled at the idea of coming back,’ he said.

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