Tricky Dicky's going back to Coronation St

Tricky Dicky's going back to Coronation St (Image credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima)

Coronation Street bosses have brought back actor Brian Capron - to play Richard Hillman's brother for a Christmas spin-off DVD. Fans last saw evil Hillman plunge to his death in a Weatherfield canal back in 2003. Almost 20 million watched him drive into the canal in a failed attempt to kill the Platt family, whom he tied up in the car. A Coronation Street source said: "Capron back from the dead will shock millions of fans. "He's back playing his brother and, with his distinctive looks, he must be a twin." Brian will be joined by a whole host of current stars for the soap's 50th anniversary special. And the soap's legends Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) and Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) are also due to appear. The source added: "The plot lines are absolutely top secret and only a handful of people know about the project." During his reign of terror in Weatherfield, Hillman - nicknamed Tricky Dicky - murdered hairdresser Maxine Peacock and almost killed Emily Bishop and ex-wife Patricia. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.