Coronation Street viewers may be surprised to learn that Raphael Akuwudike, who plays Ollie Driscoll on the ITV soap, speaks with a very different voice in real life. While his character adopts a northern accent, the actor's natural speaking voice is a gentle southern tone, as revealed in an interview with Conversation Street last year.
Ollie arrived in Weatherfield last year, hiring solicitor Dee-Dee Bailey after being charged with careless driving. Their professional relationship soon turned romantic, but the couple split when Dee-Dee left for Thailand. Recent episodes have seen Ollie developing feelings for barmaid Lauren Bolton, taking her for dinner at the Bistro and suggesting they attend a student gathering together.
Raphael, who previously appeared in Doctors in 2019 and The Marlow Murder Club in 2024, described his Corrie role as 'really, really fun' and 'brand new' to him, as he hasn't done much TV before. He characterised Ollie as a 'lover' and 'a very passionate person', adding that the character is 'quite skilled, competent'.
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
