Corrie star Jack P Shepherd has disclosed a little-known fact about a famous soap dog while sharing some movie trivia.
The Coronation Street favourite shared some of his knowledge about the Ridley Scott film Gladiator, and one of the facts was about a much-loved pooch on BBC1 soap EastEnders.
Film buff Jack, who hosts the podcast Sofa Cinema Club about must-see movies, revealed on Instagram that the pet wolf of Russell Crowe’s Roman general character Maximus was played by none other than Robbie Jackson's beloved Wellard.
"Have we seen Maximus' dog before?" he asked, tagging actor Dean Gaffney who played Robbie until 2019.
"Yes it's Wellard!"
Wellard was played by Belgian Tervuren Zenna from 1994, then her daughter Chancer from 1998 to 2001 who was then succeeded by her daughter Kyte.
Kyte, whose pedigree name is Minka Independance Kyte,played male dog Wellard for seven years and came to the soap from the company Stunt Dogs.
Kyte, who understood the words "action" and "cut", previously appeared on the ITV detective series A Touch of Frost and she played Maximus' wolf who bravely fought by his side in the 2000 blockbuster film.
The film couldn't use real wolves because of England's strict anti-rabies laws which prevented them from importing wolves.
In EastEnders Kyte featured in a controversial 2005 storyline which saw Wellard threatened with euthanasia for biting local cafe owner Ian Beale.
Wellard tragically passed away in 2008 when Robbie's sister Bianca fed Wellard a chocolate, which caused him to suffer from theobromine poisoning.
Corrie fans were in tears when the ITV soap's own famous dog Eccles passed away in March.
Emma Brooker was caring for Ken Barlow's beloved pooch when she was taken ill, and it was discovered that she had an inoperable tumour on her spleen.
Eccles has been Ken's companion for 14 years and the border terrier has been through thick and thin with the Weatherfield patriarch since he was introduced to the family by Ken's mother-in-law Blanche Hunt.
