Keith Duffy has cheekily addressed whether he could return to Coronation Street as Ciaran McCarthy after last appearing on the cobbles in 2011. The Boyzone star joined the ITV soap in 2002, and went on to strike up a relationship with Sunita Alahan.
Keith was involved in some huge storylines during his tenure, including Ciaran’s gambling addiction, his failed restaurant opening, and his relationship with Michelle Connor.
What was meant to be a short stint on the show for the popstar turned into hundreds of episodes, but it seems unlikely that we will see his return to the cobbles any time soon.
During an interview on This Morning, Keith said: “I met Sue Cleaver outside of a nightclub. Sue actually gave me my first digs in Manchester when I first moved over in 2002. I was talking to her in the Woodchester pub.
“She said, ‘Where are you going to stay?’ and I said, ‘I’m not quite sure!’ She went, ‘I have an apartment in Didsbury, would you like to stay there for a while?’. It was mad bumping into her again.”

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“I was there [Corrie] for ten years on and off, 2002 to 2011… He could come back,” Keith continued, before mentioning Boyzlife bandmate Brian McFadden.
“I don’t think [Brian] would give me enough time off,” he joked. “Boyzone were supposed to come back and do a 40-date tour. Brian wouldn’t have it – we had to do two nights instead. He wouldn’t let me go. We have contracts signed with each other.”
Brian himself then joked: “I have a prenup on him, just in case he decides to run off.”

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Ciaran is not the only acting role Keith has had, having also made appearances in comedy series Mrs Brown’s Boys and its 2014 spin-off movie.
Keith has had roles in the likes of The Clinic, Fair City, Love/Hate, and Death in Paradise as well.
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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