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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Coronation Street bad boy Jacob Hay lined up for new relationship with popular couple's daughter

His Coronation Street appearance in early 2021 may have been brief but Jacob Hay certainly helped trigger a series of events that changed some of the lives of those in Weatherfield.

Jack James Ryan, who plays Jacob, had not long joined the ITV soap as part of a gang who were running drugs under the cover of food deliveries when he disappeared.

He had already befriended vulnerable Simon Barlow into the gang before Corrie viewers discovered that Jacob had been secretly ripping off their boss Harvey Gaskell, played by Will Mellor.

Then, it's fair to say, a whole series of events were triggered with Simon's mum Leanne Battersby becoming an informant for the police, helping put Harvey behind bars - before he escaped prison and sought revenge on the family.

READ MORE: Corrie newbie Rebecca James Ryan on working with Tina O'Brien before and joining her brother on the ITV soap

After months off-screen, Jacob reappeared in November as part of Kelly Neelan's homelessness storyline.

But he's now set to make a more regular appearance as he gains a love interest on the cobbles.

Corrie viewers will see Jacob strike up a relationship with Amy Barlow - despite what he did to her cousin.

The soap's executive producer Iain MacLeod has teased that it's 'Meet the Parents' but done Corrie style as Amy brings him home to meet Tracy and Steve.

"We're pairing him [Jacob] up with someone whose historically quite well-behaved and wouldn't say boo to a goose and is quite sensible given her genetic provenance and that's Amy Barlow," Iain says.

Jack as Jacob in early 2021 when he befriended Simon (ITV)

"We thought how would Tracy and Steve react to her suddenly ending up in a romantic relationship with possibly the most unsuitable boyfriend they've ever heard of."

But Amy is Tracy's daughter and is likely to be stubborn when it comes to her choices.

He says that the popular couple will do everything they can to steer Amy away from Jacob - from reverse psychology to cutting her off financially - with "increasing failure".

"All of these things make things worse and worse to comedy effect and in the end, they have to bite the bullet and get on with this lad," Iain adds.

Meanwhile, the soap boss says Jacob is trying to redeem himself and viewers will find out how he arrived into the drug gang that "will reframe people’s view of him," as he tries to put the past behind him.

Iain says Amy does see him as a victim like Simon who was groomed into a gang but Jacob realizes he has amends to make for the "heinous" things he has done.

Praising Jack, Iain added: "What appealed about him, in no particular order... he is a fantastically good actor. He feels very Coronation Street and he's got a lot of that laconic badinage that you get from your classic Corrie leading men.

"I think he's got funny bones. He's got a really good way with comedy and he's also very authentic as well."

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