Fans of Coronation Street have been left stunned after discovering that Aaron McCusker, who plays Ben Driscoll, previously appeared in the hit film Bohemian Rhapsody. The 47-year-old Northern Irish actor portrayed Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury's boyfriend, in the 2018 musical drama about the life of the Queen frontman.
McCusker joined the ITV soap last year as Ben Driscoll, the new landlord of the Rovers Return. His character has been involved in dramatic storylines, including his son Will being groomed by a PE teacher and the revelation that Jim McDonald is his real father, making Steve McDonald his half-brother.
Viewers took to social media to express their surprise. One wrote on a Facebook fan page: "Didn't realise Ben (Aaron McCusker) from Corrie played Freddie Mercury's partner Jim in Bohemian Rhapsody! Brilliant!" Another said: "I've been looking at his face and saying I know him from something else but didn't remember what, so thank you. Puzzle solved."
Bohemian Rhapsody received widespread praise. One IMDb reviewer described it as "Amazing!!! Mind blowing!" while another called it "One of the best movies I've seen." McCusker is also known for his role as Jamie Maguire in Shameless.
Coronation Street airs weekday nights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and STV.
