Ian Puleston-Davies is returning to Coronation Street as Owen Armstrong after an 11-year absence, with the character set to reappear on screen in January. Filming for Owen's comeback begins next week, and he is far from pleased with the behaviour of his daughter's ex-partner, Gary Windass.
Owen is intent on supporting Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston) and grandson Jake, and he makes it clear that he holds Gary responsible for his family's troubles. He declares that he is relocating to live with them, which could complicate Gary's situation as he faces potential months in custody for assisting Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) in concealing Theo Silverton's (James Silverton) murder.
Owen's explosive return to Weatherfield
Speaking about his return, Ian said: "I can't wait to pick up where I left off 10 years ago! It's brilliant to be back and to get stuck into a cracking storyline. Owen's back and he's still angry!"
Owen was last seen in Weatherfield in April 2015, when he revealed he was departing following the breakdown of his relationship with Anna Windass and the collapse of his business, partly due to Pat Phelan. He relocated to Portugal before eventually settling in Scotland, reports the Daily Star.
Since his Coronation Street exit, Ian has appeared in numerous high-profile dramas, directed feature films and maintained his flourishing writing career.
Producer welcomes Owen's dramatic return
Producer Kate Brooks welcomed Ian back, saying: "We're thrilled that Ian is back, and Owen brings a ton of drama. As he joins forces with an unlikely alliance, he wreaks havoc on the Street and his relationship with Gary is severely put to the test. Needless to say, there's never a dull moment when Owen's around."
Owen made his debut in 2010 as an ambitious builder when he acquired the Builder's Yard in Victoria Street for his firm Owen Armstrong Construction, taking on Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) and subsequently Izzy's former partner Gary.
Owen's history with the Windass family
In 2011, Owen entered into a relationship with Anna and took on the role of stepfather to her adopted daughter Faye Windass (Ellie Leach). Life was relatively settled until 2013, when Owen took charge of a project for insolvent builder Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), committing £80,000 to the venture.
Following Gary's assault on Phelan with a plank of wood, Phelan turned to blackmail, draining Owen's investment, having sex with Anna and only then releasing Owen from his obligations. The traumatic episode left Owen in severe financial difficulty, forcing him to offload the yard and declare bankruptcy, scraping together whatever building contracts he could find afterwards.
Having weathered the Phelan ordeal together, Owen and Anna ultimately parted ways permanently a year on, after Owen's furious response to Faye falling pregnant at 13. Unable to face remaining in Weatherfield, Owen took up a work opportunity offered by a friend in Aberdeen. Coronation Street airs weeknights on ITV1 at 8.30pm and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
