Coronation Street fans have been aware of Theo Silverton’s vile abuse of Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) for a while now, but his dastardly behaviour came as a shock to viewers of Corriedale – especially the ones who recognised actor James Cartwright from his previous high-profile role.
For months now, Theo has been manipulating, gaslighting and controlling boyfriend Todd, with his abuse turning violent on multiple occasions.
At the end of last week, vicar Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) finally learnt the truth about Todd’s ordeal, after seeing his bruises. After finding video footage of Theo abusing Todd, Billy managed to convince him to leave.
However, their plan to sneak away from Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) and Ronnie Bailey’s (Vinta Morgan) wedding early hit a snag when Theo caught on, and joined them on the minibus.
Over the course of their journey, it dawned on Theo that Billy knew the truth about what had been going on behind closed doors, leaving both Billy and Todd in a dangerous situation.
When the minibus got caught up in the multi-vehicle pile-up that kicked off Corriedale, Billy ended up trapped inside. With the bus on fire, he raced to free himself, finally managing to unbuckle his seatbelt.
Horrifyingly, Theo had crawled back into the bus and buckled Billy back in, destroying his hopes of making it out alive. Sure enough, the vehicle exploded moments later with the vicar trapped inside.
This came as a huge shock to many, including Twitter/X user Wanda, who was horrified that a recognisable face from her childhood was now a killer.
There was also recognition from countless other fans, who recognised James from his time on CBBC smash hit children’s series The Story Of Tracy Beaker, which is based on the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson.
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They were absolutely baffled that James had played such vastly different characters in his career, with some refusing to believe it was the same person.
Who did James Cartwright play in Tracy Beaker?
James portrayed the role of Nathan Jones across 40 episodes of The Story Of Tracy Beaker between 2003 and 2004, making his debut in the second series of the children’s drama.
The character – who was a trainee careworker – often found himself caught up in The Dumping Ground care kids’ mischief, much to the annoyance of his more senior colleagues.
Because of this, some Corriedale viewers were amazed that James would go on to play one of Corrie’s most vile abusers.
Metro readers previously made the connection when James’ Corrie casting was first announced.
‘Just realised the one on the right played Nathan in Tracy Beaker,’ said one Metro reader, while another branded James a ‘legend’, sharing a picture of him in his signature Tracy Beaker role.
What other TV shows has James Cartwright been in?
He is also known for his work on The Archers, where he played Harrison Burns for over a decade between 2014 and 2025.
You may have also spotted him portraying Tony Sellick in 2019’s Downton Abbey movie.
What is ahead for Theo in Coronation Street?
Speaking about how Theo’s character has developed, James said: ‘I think we always knew he was a complicated man. But now, as we move further along, you start to see that actually he’s not just a complicated man, he’s potentially a very dangerous man.
‘The flaws and the damage within him are now manifesting in a way that I’m not sure even he can control. And I think it’s potentially putting people at risk.’
It’s safe to say that Theo won’t let go of Todd very easily…
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
This article was first published on March 16, 2025.
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