Coronation Street actor Gareth Pierce, who plays Todd Grimshaw, has given a rare insight into his family life, choosing to keep his wife Amy and 10-year-old daughter out of the spotlight despite his fame. The 45-year-old actor, happily settled in Manchester with his wife of more than 20 years, said: "My job puts me in the public eye, but I very much try to keep my wife and daughter out of it."
Opening up about his family life, he told the Mirror: "We love the beach, barbecuing, little hikes. I go to a lot of gigs and am into heavy metal and punk. At home, we curl up on the sofa and watch our favourite programmes together. My daughter's 10 now, so we love Gladiators, Traitors and Race Across the World."
Daughter Unfazed by Dad's Fame
His daughter, whose name he never reveals, is unfazed by his fame. Gareth said: "She hasn't really known any different. She was four when I joined Coronation Street. Like most kids, what their parents do isn't that interesting." He added: "We will watch the Christmas episode together, though. What I love the most is that she gets to see that her dad has found a job where he can keep that imagination and that creative play that kids do so instinctively going into adult life. And it actually pays the bills."
Coronation Street Storylines
Gareth joined Corrie in 2020 after the show re-cast the already established role of Eileen Grimshaw's son, Todd. The character's return to Weatherfield saw him deviously get in between former partner Billy Mayhew and Paul Foreman, resulting in their split. His cruel move was eventually exposed, leading to a reunion for Paul and Billy. The trio went on to become great friends and are also referred to as being Summer Spellman's 'three dads'. Devastation hit when Paul tragically died in 2024, after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Todd's love life remained an interest to those putting together the long-running show, but things took a devastating turn when the undertaker met Theo Silverton. For more than a year, Gareth was part of a hard-hitting storyline about coercive control and domestic violence alongside co-star James Cartwright, who played Theo. In April, the storyline took a dramatic turn as, after trying to target Todd one last time, after he reported him to the police following his most violent attack to date, Theo was found dead by horrified neighbour Betsy Swain.
After being suspected of carrying out the murder himself, it was later revealed that Todd's best friend Sarah Platt killed his evil husband by hitting him over the head, causing him to fall from the scaffolding their confrontation took place on. While Todd agreed to keep her secret, he told Sarah, his fiancée before he came out as gay, he was banishing her from his life.
Proud of Domestic Abuse Storyline
Gareth joked: "You know those Google searches, when you can see the crime rates in your area? Weatherfield would be off the charts." But he's proud of Todd's domestic abuse storyline, for which the soap's writers worked with LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity Galop. Gareth said: "When you get asked to play a storyline like that, there's a great sense of privilege to be trusted with it." He added: "Coronation Street does very well representing a scenario like that which can actually be, sadly, many people's realities. There's a certain amount of pressure and expectation. I've been really heartened by the way that people have become so engaged with the story. When I'm out and about, people are genuinely concerned about me. They ask me how I'm doing, let alone Todd."
Viewers were willing Todd to see what Theo was really like. Gareth said: "There was a frustrating period for the audience, where they felt that they could see the red flags sooner than Todd. So, I was getting advice from strangers. They were saying, 'Go on, get out of there,' and 'That Theo's a wrong'un,'. I had to explain that I have to do what the writers tell me." Of course, Theo had to get his comeuppance. Gareth said: "There is a strict moral compass to Coronation Street and a sense that justice has to be served eventually. Theo's day of judgment has been very much longed for. Karma has been served."
Credit to Teachers
Having received plenty of praise for his portrayal of Todd's abuse, Gareth said that his teachers are to thank for his success. Recreating Harry Enfield and Steve Coogan sketches for his school pals, Gareth, who moved around a lot because of his dad's job in the Army, before the family settled in North Wales, was very much the class clown. "When I was about 12, a teacher said, 'man, we should put this kid on stage'. And I suddenly had this forum for that bit of my personality," he said.
Another teacher then encouraged him to think about drama school, leading Gareth to the National Youth Theatre in London. Cutting his teeth in Welsh drama Caerdydd, he landed the role of Gavin Moss on The Archers, before getting his big break on the cobbles. Gareth continued: "The education system gets a bit of a battering, doesn't it? It's such a shame. I think that everyone should always look at teachers as the champions of kids, because very often they're able to see abilities in a child that the child might not even have seen themselves. Teachers are so precious. It is genuinely one of the most important professions in the world. It's always great when people in the public eye give credit to the people that first gave them a leg up."
Age UK Ambassador
As a longstanding ambassador for Age UK, Gareth is promoting the charity's Act Now Age Better campaign, which encourages people to be active at any stage in life and to reap the benefits when they are older. He joined Age UK Bolton's table tennis session for a high-octane match before chatting to the Mirror. Practicing what he preaches, Gareth is super fit, saying: "I run, cycle and swim, so I'm reasonably fit."
While he's loving the twists and turns of his current murder storyline, he has set his sights on a more exotic location for his next whodunnit. He said: "I love Manchester, it's incredibly vibrant, the people are amazing and have truly welcomed us with open arms. But it does rain quite a lot. I always enjoyed languages at school, and so I think that was my other path - taking languages at university and spending time in a slightly warmer country." So, for his next murder plot, he is thinking of Death in Paradise, set on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. He said: "I haven't done Death in Paradise, but my friends have. They take you out there for a lot longer than you're actually filming, so you get to explore Guadeloupe and go on boats and things. Then every now and again you have to go and do some work."
