Coronation Street: Connor McIntyre hints at Pat Phelan getting his comeuppance

"They're very cool. They get it. And there's a certain sense of ownership about it - if you're a Corrie fan, you enjoy your villain. Knowing full well that he'll inevitably get his comeuppance.

"It's a very moral universe - and quite right too. The reaction I usually get is, 'You're so horrible. We really hate you. But we don't want them to kill you yet.'"

Next week's episodes look set to be a big week for Phelan as he takes another hostage and faces added pressure thanks to daughter Nicola asking some tricky questions.

Asked whether he's met any real-life Phelans over the years, McIntyre revealed that he'd found inspiration in Westminster politics rather than backstreet Salford:

"It's all about power with Pat. He's a dangerous narcissist. And he has no capacity for empathy. Now, how many of our current cabinet do you think you could identify as being that personality type?

"I'll let the readers make up their own minds about that one. But just look at our political class - self-interested and, as Ken Loach put it recently, 'consciously cruel'. Pat just embodies that mentality, doesn't he?'"

You can read the full interview with Connor McIntyre in the new issue of Radio Times (out today).

Watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of Coronation Street below

And visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.