Bill Fellows has teased his Coronation Street character Stu Carpenter's huge secret, saying it's very "unexpected".

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In less than a year, Stu has become a fan-favourite, going from living on the streets to befriending the likes of Yasmeen Metcalfe (Shelley King) and Kelly Neelan (Millie Gibson) as his loveable personality shone through.

Recently, he has confided his sadness over losing contact with his daughter, and Yasmeen decided to do some digging to locate her for Stu. How that pans out remains to be seen; but in the meantime, Stu is holding back a massive secret.

When he was arrested for an attempted break-in, the police officer referenced his previous record, giving us a tiny clue that there was some kind of crime involved. And as Stu's past is set to be unearthed, actor Fellows reveals there's an almighty twist on the way that even he didn't see coming.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other media, he tells us his initial reaction to Stu's backstory.

"Iain [MacLeod, Coronation Street's executive producer] rang me and told me what my past was, and I went 'Whoa, whoa!' I know I can't say too much now, but I went 'Whoa', that was my reaction, like, 'Oh, great!'

asks Ken Barlow [WILLIAM ROACHE] to give him a lift to the wholesalers. While there, Stu suddenly appears with a police officer in hot pursuit. The officer accuses Stu of an attempted break-in and to Ken’s horror, assumes him to be the getaway driver. Picture contact - David.crook@itv.com This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms" classes=""] Stu got into some trouble earlier this year

"We talked about things like, he's flawed and maybe [has] some things in his past [that] when you're younger people disapprove of, maybe."

Fellows adds that it's a bombshell that could change everything for Stu.

"It was unexpected. I knew something was coming because we'd talked about it, but it was unexpected to the level it was, like [a] life-changing level. His past was much bigger than I envisioned, to be honest with you."

Asked whether he thinks the audience's opinion of Stu could change once the truth is revealed, he replies: "I think it will a little bit, yeah. Because it's almost like, from an audience point of view, you've been told a lot of lies. [They] can forgive you once – [but] eventually they build up, all these little things.

"I think the audience are going to be shocked, really surprised... Who are you going to be believe? What's going on? There's lots of discussions, I think. Without giving the game away, there's going to be loads of that about what you feel, what you don't feel."

These cryptic clues may not give much away, but it's certainly enough to make you want to tune in as Coronation Street builds towards Stu's past exploding!

Fellows can't tell us any more for now, but he does add what it was that made him like his character in the first place.

"I think you’ve got to like to play your character as an actor," the star muses. "And I like [Stu]. And I like him because of his flaws, actually. That’s what I like most about him, that he struggles trying to be a good person, and he gets himself into all sorts of trouble because of it, but he tries! And I think there’s something lovely about that. If you’re flawed, people can relate to someone that’s flawed.

"I think he’s got a very strong moral compass; but he’s not perfect, none of us are. That’s what I like about it. None of us are perfect and we see that side to him."

Read more:

Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

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Authors

Laura Denby
Laura DenbyFreelance Writer

Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.

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