Coronation Street has kicked off Gary Windass’ prison storyline, with the character meeting his new cellmate Jonesy. But viewers may recognise the actor playing the newcomer from a very different role on the cobbles.
Earlier this week, Gary was sentenced to eight months behind bars for helping cover up Theo’s death, despite Sarah, the person who actually killed him, walking free.
With fans wondering how Gary will cope inside, tonight’s episode (October 23) introduced his new cellmate. And it turns out the actor behind Jonesy has a history with the ITV soap.
Who plays Gary’s cellmate Jonesy in Coronation Street?
Jonesy is played by actor and comedian Carl Rice, who has actually appeared in Coronation Street before.
However, he previously played a completely different character, Ian Rigby, during Rob Donovan’s brutal prison storyline back in 2015.
Ian arrived as Rob’s cellmate and quickly became his right-hand man behind bars. Carl played the role for several months, with his final appearance airing in December 2015.
Interestingly, his previous storyline shared some similarities with his latest role, as he once again finds himself at the centre of a prison plot.
Away from Coronation Street, Carl has also appeared in several other television shows. Viewers may recognise him from his regular role in Brookside, as well as ITV children’s drama Children’s Ward and Sky comedy Trollied.
What is his new storyline in the soap?
In tonight’s episode, Gary and Jonesy initially appeared to be getting along just fine. However, Ross’ promise to support Gary with whatever he needed raised questions about whether he knows more about the new cellmate than he’s letting on.
That could prove significant, as when Carl’s return was announced a few weeks ago, The Sun reported that his new storyline could connect to the soap’s ongoing toxic masculinity plot involving Ross.
Details about Ross’ storyline remain under wraps, but things appear to be heading in a dark direction. There are also still questions surrounding whether he was involved in whatever happened to Cassie before her exit from the show.
One thing that seems certain is that Jonesy will play a significant role in Gary’s time in prison. Actor Mikey North has already hinted that his character’s ordeal behind bars will become increasingly difficult.
Speaking to Metro, Mikey said: “It’s prison, so it’s never going to be an easy ride. Gary’s cellmate Jonesy is a great character, and Carl Rice plays him brilliantly. There’s going to be lots coming up with Gary having to protect himself inside, so there’s so much going on there.
“Jonesy is definitely another little Corrie villain who’s popped up.”
With Gary facing a challenging time behind bars and Jonesy’s true intentions still unclear, viewers will want to keep a close eye on the newcomer as the prison storyline unfolds.
Read more: Coronation Street spoilers next week: Sally attacks a mystery intruder as Lucy’s lies unravel