Tristan Gemmill's children were left upset after watching their father's character get shot dead in the Coronation Street Christmas Day episode in 2019. The actor, who played Robert Preston, said his kids were so distressed that he spent hours calming them down.
A Christmas Day mistake
Speaking about the festive broadcast, Gemmill said: 'Being shot through the door of the Rovers was harsh, it was a hell of an exit. We all watched it on Christmas Day with my kids. I thought 'Oh, look, we've had Christmas lunch. Let's sit down and watch Daddy's episode of Coronation Street because it's where he leaves the show.' It was a big mistake! They got so upset and I spent hours calming them down!'
The character's death came when he was accidentally shot by Derek Milligan, played by Craige Els, a businessman in debt to Gary Windass, played by Mikey North.
Robert Preston's storyline
Robert Preston first appeared in 1996, played by Julian Kay, having met Tracy Barlow, then played by Dawn Acton, in London. They married and moved away, but when Tracy returned, played by Kate Ford, they had broken up after Robert found her in bed with his best friend.
When Robert returned in 2015, he was played by Gemmill, who stayed in the role for four years. He reunited with ex-wife Tracy, worked as a chef at the Bistro, and later formed a relationship with Michelle Connor, played by Kym Marsh.
In an issue-led plotline, Robert was diagnosed with testicular cancer, the same disease that had killed his father. He initially resisted treatment but relented with Michelle's support. After his cancer battle, he became addicted to performance-enhancing steroids, left with distorted body image and a desire to regain control.
Robert and Michelle's relationship collapsed when they clashed over having a child. Robert was desperate to become a dad, while Michelle was unwilling to go through another pregnancy after a traumatic late miscarriage. In their brief time apart, Robert met Vicky Jefferies, played by Kerri Quinn, who he got pregnant, before reuniting with Michelle and living a double life. After discovering the truth, Michelle humiliated Robert on their wedding day.
Twelve Angry Men
Gemmill is set to appear in the stage play Twelve Angry Men, which follows a jury as they deliberate the guilt of a boy on trial for murdering his father. He will be joined by soap veterans Ben Nealon, Bill Ward, and Gray O'Brien, who played Alexander Harkinson in EastEnders, and Charlie Stubbs and Tony Gordon in Corrie, respectively.
Speaking to The Mirror, Gemmill said of the play: 'We're finding that the audiences are really engaged because Reginald Rose, the writer, has structured it in such a clever way where by at the beginning, you just see 12 blokes walk into a room. You know that it's a jury deliberating on a murder case, but you don't know any more than that. And then as time goes on, you almost fill in the gaps backwards, so that eventually you know what everybody in the room knows, because they've sat in the court for three days and listened to the proceedings. So, the way he drip-feeds the information is really clever.'
