Coronation Street star Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone Dobbs on the ITV soap, has revealed his ambition to reach 30 years in the role and why he steers clear of comparisons to iconic characters Jack and Vera Duckworth.
Having joined the famous cobbles in 1998 at just 15, Alan's character was quickly taken under the wing of Weatherfield legends Jack and Vera Duckworth. The same was true off-screen, as show stalwarts Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn looked out for him, forging a close bond until Bill's death in 2012, with Liz passing away five years later in 2017.
Avoiding Legendary Comparisons
Alan's character and his on-screen wife Fiz Dobbs, played by Jennie McAlpine, are often compared to Jack and Vera by fans, a comparison Alan prefers to avoid. He said: "I try to steer away from that. To me, Jack and Vera were Mr and Mrs Coronation Street! I can't live up to that. They were, for me, so synonymous with the programme, even to this day. I think that's testament to the legendary characters that they were."
Now just two years away from his 30th anniversary on the soap, Alan hopes to hit the milestone like his late co-stars. He said: "I feel very fortunate. I love my job. I've just signed a new contract that will take me into my 29th year."
Milestone Ambitions and Close Friendships
He added: "That was a big thing for Bill and Liz, who played Jack and Vera. I know Bill was desperate to get to 30 years and he accomplished that. That'll be a big milestone for me because they were two people that looked after me when I first started. I just pinch myself."
While Bill and Liz are no longer around, Alan says co-star Andy Whyment, who plays Kirk Sutherland, is like family. "We lived together," he said. "We knew each other before Coronation Street, so Andy is like my older brother, and it's been that way for over 30 years now."
Changing Relationship with Fame
Alan admits his relationship with fame has changed since starting in TV. Laughing, he said: "I'm nearly three times as old as when I first started! I always wanted to act, still do. The byproduct of it all is the public side. And you learn to live with it."
"But with my character I'm one of the lucky ones - generally people just want to say 'hi', 'how's Fiz' or, you know, 'Can you fix my car?!' I don't get slapped around the head for being a baddie or anything!"
Alan's character has been at the centre of huge storylines over the past two decades, from a hit-and-run and a harrowing domestic abuse plot, to discovering Cassie Plummer, played by Claire Sweeney, was his real mum. More recently, Tyrone has been getting to know his long-lost father, Ross Wilkes, played by Ian Burfield.
Fishing as an Escape
To unwind between filming, the Salford native goes fishing with his father. He explained: "I like to be busy because I enjoy my job. But when you're away from set, it's really nice to go out, clear your head, spend time with family, and for me, do a bit of fishing. We all live 100-mile-an-hour lifestyles, so to go and sit beside some water, and enjoy that time of peacefulness, of mindfulness, is great."
He added: "A lot is spoken now about mental health, which is fantastic. But this isn't just 'alone' time. My dad's retired now, and a lot of his social life is with his fishing friends."
The escape is made more special now that Alan's daughter Sienna, 12, joins them. He said: "I sit with my dad while he's fishing, have a coffee with him and chat. I took my daughter with us and she caught loads of fish! It's a three-generation thing now that we really enjoy."
"It's been a part of my childhood. So, to see Sienna doing it now with her grandad is so nice. Her grandad can enjoy that time with his grandkids and impart his knowledge."
Alan has fond memories of his youth: "Dad was a super keen fisherman, still is. We spent most of our holidays fishing, enjoying the great outdoors, bonding - me and my brother trying to outdo each other as we did at everything!"
Family Support and Future Hopes
Sienna, who Alan shares with his ex-wife and former co-star Lucy-Jo Hudson, could also follow in her dad's footsteps. Her proud father says the competitive youngster already performs on stage, often mocking him over his "easy" TV work.
"She tells me that my job's dead easy because she likes to be on stage and she wants to do musical theatre. If I get it wrong, I can just re-film it, she'll say - but if she gets it wrong on stage, she can't. She always says this with a little twinkle in her eye."
"I know she winds me up with it, but she's fantastic, watching her on stage. It just blows me away. She fills me with pride."
Should Sienna ever decide on a TV career, Alan hopes to echo his own parents' approach. He said: "I was lucky that my parents didn't have any idea about the industry that I wanted to go in. But what they did do is, if I got a phone call off my agent when I was 11 or 12 and they said, 'Oh, you've got to go to London for an audition,' they'd be like, 'Okay,' and that was it."
"There were no questions asked. They just did it. And I take a lot from that because it was a big part of me doing what I love. I'd just support whatever Sienna wants to do." The telly favourite added: "I love being a dad. It's the best thing I've ever done in my whole life, I wouldn't change it. She's a dream."
Alan now hopes to see Corrie's Tyrone take on fishing with his father, Ross: "It does open those lines of communication. It certainly did with me as a kid, with my dad. I think we do see that in Coronation Street. Ross is very different from my dad in real life. So, I'm not so sure how much knowledge Tyrone will get from Ross."
Alan is supporting the Environment Agency's Summer Fishing Licence campaign, which aims to highlight the wellbeing benefits of fishing and the importance of having a valid licence.
