Not Roy! (Picture: ITV)

Coronation Street mainstay Roy Cropper (David Neilson) is certainly not a person you would expect to be dealing with an addiction in the new year, but the show’s producer Iain MacLeod has revealed to us that Roy is going to fall prey to a particularly contemporary obsession when he gets a smart phone for Christmas from Nina (Mollie Gallagher).

‘I heard rumours when I got here that David Neilson’s one red line was that Roy would never have a mobile phone,’ Iain said. ‘So when we story-lined it I was hiding in case when he read the script he was going to go mad! In the end he didn’t, he really appreciates the comedy behind it.’

The story starts as a comedy storyline, with Nina determined to drag Roy into the 21st century, technology-wise, by presenting him with the phone as a gift. Roy doesn’t see the point of the phone, but then the story takes on ‘a more serious hue,’ as Iain MacLeod explained.

‘Roy decides one day to go on a bat based adventure, and has given his phone away by this point because he doesn’t want it anymore. He finds himself in a certain amount of jeopardy which then draws Nina into a certain amount of jeopardy, and what starts out as a lighthearted story takes on a much more serious complexion and is about Roy’s love for Nina, and vice versa.

‘On the back of this Roy decides Nina is right and he does need a mobile phone. It’s a classic Corrie story about Roy and mobile phone addictions.’

While Roy becomes seriously obsessed with his phone, things don’t go too far, Iain pointed out. ‘Roy’s not going to be posting TikTok videos or anything like that. Although now I say that out loud it feels like a missed opportunity!’

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Evelyn (Maureen Lipman) is also drawn into the story as it becomes one about the generational differences between Nina and Roy. Iain told us he loves the on-screen relationship between Roy and Evelyn.

‘I’m increasingly loving their dynamic,’ he said. ‘They’re both a similar age, idiosyncratic characters. There’s clearly a massive depth of affection there. Neither would admit that because its very un-British and unseemly to show how much you like somebody, so this buttoned up friendship emerges across the course of the phone story. I’m excited to see it. Both obviously such fantastic actors, it’s one of my favourite things in the new year.’

Now, this is a turn up for the books!