Coronation Street star Aaron McCusker arrived on the cobbles last year as new Rovers Return landlord Ben Driscoll. The family man became a popular addition to the soap, charming both viewers and Weatherfield locals with his laidback and friendly demeanour.
Since then, Ben and the Driscoll clan have been at the centre of a number of key storylines, establishing themselves as prominent members of the community. However, the family unit could have looked slightly different, as McCusker was originally in the running for another huge role on the soap.
In an interview with The Mirror, the actor shared that he had been trying to get on Corrie for the past 13 years, and had auditioned for six different parts during that time.
ITV
Related: Best streaming services
“They weren’t all lead roles; the last one I was up for was 14 episodes. I always got very close. I was told that they really liked me, but they wanted to hold out for a bigger part. I used to think ‘yeah, whatever’,” recalled McCusker.
Among the roles was that of Todd Grimshaw, who was originally played by Bruno Langley until 2017 before being recast in 2020. Gareth Pierce ultimately landed the part and has been on our screens ever since, currently fronting a harrowing domestic abuse storyline.
“I know Gareth quite well and I watch him on screen and at work and it’s perfect casting. The guy is so talented; there’s no one else that could play that part as well as him,” said McCusker.
“And Coronation Street were true to their word, so I’m glad I waited around for this. The Rovers Return is an institution – everybody knows it, even people who don’t watch the show – so it doesn’t get much bigger than being the pub landlord.”
“Plus, I get to drive home from work and see my kids every day, which for the last six years has never happened,” he added.
ITV
Related: Coronation Street’s Carl caught out again in early ITVX episode – and Debbie is shocked
As well as being the face of the landmark pub, the star has been involved in two bombshell plots over the past few weeks, with more drama on the horizon.
Horrified Ben recently discovered that his teenage son Will was being groomed by his sports coach Megan Walsh, sending shockwaves through the whole family.
Meanwhile, the landlord also found out the truth about his paternity, as his mum Maggie accidentally revealed that her late husband was not Ben’s real dad. Maggie was then forced to admit her historic affair with Jim McDonald, confirming that Ben and Steve McDonald were half-brothers.
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
For exclusive soap star interviews, gossip, spoilers and theories every week, don’t miss the Soap Scoop podcast from Inside Soap magazine. The latest episode delves into next weeks soap spoilers for EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale – as Cain Dingle is left for dead, Jasmine Fisher goes on trial, and Jodie Ramsey gets up to no good again.