Coronation Street is gearing up to air a big storyline for one of the show’s core families as they’ve just recast Ken Barlow’s grandson, Bertie Osborne. The character will now be played by Henry Duggan, with the eight-year-old’s first scenes set to air next week.
Previously played by twins Rufus and Elias Morgan Smith, with Rufus taking over full-time from 2020, Bertie is the son of Daniel Osborne and the late Sinead Tinker. Now Duggan has been added to the cast list for upcoming episodes, confirming the takeover.
While it’s standard practice for soaps to often recast younger characters, the decision to recast Bertie may link to a new storyline coming up for Daniel as he struggles with his mental health amid Megan Walsh’s grooming storyline.
ITV
Predator Megan has wreaked havoc on the cobbles with her grooming of Will Driscoll. The villain covered her tracks by embarking on a relationship with Daniel, who ended up falling head over heels for the master manipulator.
As Megan’s crimes have been exposed and she’s finally set to face the music, the truth has hit Daniel like a tonnes of bricks, with Corrie producer Kate Brooks teasing the impact the reveal will have on Bertie’s dad.
“With Daniel, he thought he’d met somebody who was on the same page as a teacher. Megan was apparently respectable and Daniel has been completely duped by her. It completely makes him unravel,” Brooks said.
“Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel, is such a phenomenal actor. We’ll see Daniel slowly start to lose it, because he’s wondering who to trust. He’s been bitten so badly by this relationship.”
ITV
Related: Best streaming services
Brooks added: “As Daniel was the one who defended Megan at first as well, he feels like he’s let Will down and Bertie down. We’re really going to chart the impact she’s had on him and his life – and his attitude to relationships going forward.”
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Sir David Attenborough, is here! Buy Sir David Attenborough in newsagents or online.
