Corrie newcomer first appeared on the cobbles before birth - guess his missing link

's Theo Silverton (played by James Cartwright) has a hidden past on the show that fans would never have expected. Express spoke exclusively to the actor, who confessed that his pregnant mother had taken him on a tour of the Street in utero - and his passion for the 65-year-old soap may already have been brewing back then.

"I'm a big believer in timing - everything in life is about timing!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly before dropping the bombshell: "I was in Coronation Street when I was in my mum's belly! My mum was pregnant with me when she went on a tour of the Street. I found out the other day. She said, 'Oh, the first time you were on Corrie, I was pregnant - I didn't know, mind!'" He subsequently went for an audition "many years ago" to become Tommy Duckworth, who hasn't been seen on screen now for over a decade - but didn't get the part.

Now, of course, he's landed his dream role as Todd Grimshaw's secret lover, with his boyfriend played by Gareth Pierce) - and there's a link many fans never knew about there, too.

James and Gareth didn't meet for the first time on the cobbles - they previously worked together on 's , when Gareth joined as "a really tough Welsh criminal" called Gavin Moss.

James played local policeman Harrison - but this time, on Corrie, he is the one caught in the crime, with this week's Corrie episodes showing his distraught wife catching him kissing Todd and realising he is having a gay relationship behind her back.

He joked: "What was wonderful is that The Archers had to go wild at the idea of Harrison Burns and Gavin Moss having a love affair!"

Of course, their on-screen relationship now is completely from the one portrayed on the airwaves before - but James is having no trouble adjusting to the new dynamic.

"It's about finding the right timing and the right character because we are all but brushstrokes in the giant, glorious masterpiece that is Coronation Street!" he exclaimed.

"It's this giant, massive, beautiful canvas - when you stand back, it's this wonderful thing. When you get up close, it's made of a million little brushstrokes and I am but one of those little brushstrokes."

Watch this space as next week, we'll reveal major spoilers about Todd and Theo's relationship and what's coming next.