They have been seen making their debuts in classic episodes of Corrie
Patti Clare playing Mary Taylor in Coronation Street(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street fans have realised that two characters arrived in Weatherfield at the same time 18 years ago as they were seen making their debuts in classic episodes of the long-running show.
Vintage episodes of the ITV soap continue to air on ITV3 every weekday, alongside new Corrie episodes every weekday evening on ITV and ITVX.
It means Corrie fans can bask in the nostalgia of years gone by, and it also means they can be reminded of the arrival of characters who have gone on to have a big impact in Weatherfield over the years.
Click here to sign up for more Coronation Street updates in our newsletter
The two latest additions to the classic episodes are Gary Windass and Mary Taylor, played by Mikey North and Patti Clare, who arrived in the same week back in 2008.
Fans of the ITV soap have watched the builder turned debt collector, Gary, become a soap villain after causing the death of Rana Habeeb in the Underworld factory sabotage, before killing Rick Neelan.
Gary had to resort to desperate measures, his murderous secret finally came to light after three years of being hidden in 2022. Luckily for Gary, it was just Laura Neelan who found out he killed her estranged husband, Rick and not the whole of Weatherfield.
Mary, meanwhile, has been delighting Coronation Street fans since she arrived on the cobbles. Her friendship with Norris Cole, flirtations with Dev Alahan, and the dramas surrounding her reunion with her son Jude are just some of the things that have sealed the love for Mary among fans of the Salford-based show.
Mikey also made his debut as Gary Windass in the same week(Image: ITV)
Speaking about their Classic Corrie debuts, @ThomasR14336083 wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “… Classic Corrie sees the debut of Mary Taylor & Gary Windass. I’d forgotten they arrived onscreen at the same time & who would’ve thought they would still be on the show 17 years later? #Corrie.”
@YasminAli__ replied: “Both incredible strong actors, love our gary more. Both simply own the screens now when they are on, so happy they both haven’t left us.” @warrennie24 commented: “Interesting, could’ve sworn they were years apart.” @mackembernie said elswhere: “Mary makes her debut in Clasic Corrie. Can’t believe it is 18yrs since Mary made her debut.”