Coronation Street star Gareth Pierce has teased a 'regeneration' for Todd Grimshaw following the harrowing abuse storyline and the shocking murder reveal. The actor, who has played Todd since October 2020, says the character will now navigate a fresh chapter, bringing back some of his trademark humour.
Todd's nightmare with Theo
For nearly a year, Todd's life was a waking nightmare due to his abusive partner Theo Silverton (James Cartwright). In public, Theo seemed perfect, but behind closed doors he bullied, insulted, and controlled Todd, often resorting to physical violence. Theo's worst acts included leaving Todd's ex-boyfriend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) to die in the Corriedale crash, forcing Todd into a shotgun wedding, and beating him so badly he ended up in A&E.
After Todd walked away, Theo broke into his flat for revenge, leading to a deadly confrontation that ended with Theo falling from rooftop scaffolding to his death on the Cobbles.
Murder investigation and aftermath
Theo's death triggered a murder investigation, with Todd among six suspects, including his closest friends. Weeks of suspicion followed until the truth emerged: the murderer was Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien), Todd's best friend and teenage sweetheart. Needing a break, Todd jetted off to Thailand with friend Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) to visit his mum Eileen and brother Jason.
Now, with Todd returning from Bangkok, Pierce hints at what's next. "It's going to be about regeneration now. You don't want to stand still or feel that you're in any way defined by a longer storyline that you've carried," he told Digital Spy. "We're working to bring some of the humour back in as well. That was a real asset to the character and I love playing comedy too, so we're bringing that in."
Hoping for romance
Pierce is hopeful Todd will find love again. "I would love him to have a happier time of it," he said. "I definitely do want to see Todd exploring the dating scene, because I think that's what we had leading up to the Theo relationship." He added that Todd's history with Billy and Paul's relationship might make him believe in love and want something lasting, while also feeling sad about his past dating life.
"So you will have a sense with Todd now saying 'I'm never going to let that happen to me again', but I think he's not going to give up hope of finding something lasting," Pierce said.
