Fans of ITV's Coronation Street have been left reeling by a surprising piece of television trivia, discovering that the actor behind the soap's current villain once played a cherished character in the children's classic, The Story of Tracy Beaker.
The Dramatic 'Corriedale' Crossover Event
The shocking revelation came to light following the highly-anticipated 'Corriedale' crossover event, which aired on ITV1 earlier this week. The special episode, which marked the start of ITV's new 'soap power hour' scheduling, featured a catastrophic multi-vehicle pile-up involving characters from both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
The collision, which resulted in two tragic deaths, saw Emmerdale's John Sugden and Aaron Dingle crash into Corrie's Becky Swain. In the ensuing chaos, Coronation Street's Carla Connor ran in front of a minibus driven by Billy Mayhew, who was ferrying wedding guests.
Theo's Deadly Deed and a Soap Tragedy
The episode took a dark turn as the malevolent Theo Silverton ensured the vicar, Billy Mayhew, could not escape the ensuing bus explosion by fastening his seatbelt. Billy, who had agreed to help Todd Grimshaw escape the coercive and physically abusive relationship he was trapped in with Theo, perished in the flames.
This brutal act cemented Theo's status as one of the street's most despicable villains in recent months, having manipulated and abused Todd since their relationship began following Theo's divorce from Danielle.
From Care Worker to Corrie Criminal: The Actor's Past Revealed
However, viewers were utterly stunned to learn that the man behind the monster, actor James Cartwright, has a far more wholesome television history. The 41-year-old, whose credits include Sister Boniface Mysteries and Downton Abbey, once played the kindly care worker Nathan in The Story of Tracy Beaker.
Cartwright appeared in the CBBC series for a year after joining in 2003, becoming a familiar and friendly face at the Dumping Ground during the show's second series.
The contrast between the two roles sent fans flocking to social media platform X to express their disbelief. One viewer exclaimed, "I still refuse to believe Nathan from Tracy Beaker would be so evil," while another posted, "WAIT THIS HORRIBLE ABUSING MAN IS NATHAN FROM TRACY BEAKER???"
The sense of shock was palpable, with a third fan writing, "Billy got killed by Nathan from Tracy Beaker??? I didn't know he was on the show. Am I the only one that didn't know this???" The crossover event's drama clearly extended beyond the screen, blending fictional tragedy with real-world actor revelation.
Coronation Street continues tonight at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
