Who is Coronation Street newcomer Damon Hay?

By Stefania Sarrubba

Published: Thursday, 08 December 2022 at 12:00 am

Coronation Street is set to introduce another potential villain with Jacob Hay’s father Damon.

The new character, played by Shameless’s Ciarán Griffiths, is headed to the cobbles to mend his relationship with Jacob (Jack James Ryan).

However, it sounds like Damon may have ulterior motives for his sudden appearance, as Griffith teased ahead of his official debut.

So who is Damon Hay, what is his Coronation Street storyline, and who plays him? Read on to find out.

Who is Coronation Street newcomer Damon?

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Ciarán Griffiths as Damon Hay in Coronation Street. 
ITV

Damon wreaks havoc on Weatherfield as he tries to reconcile with his son Jacob.

While Jacob desperately tries to avoid him to put his drug-dealing past behind him, Damon quickly gets involved with Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) amidst their financial crisis, thinking he could profit off that.

“He’s quite a complex character, he’s Jacob’s dad but he’s quite sly, manipulative and a bit of a wrong ‘un really,” Griffiths said about Damon.

“He’s definitely got an ulterior motive, he makes out that he’s back to make amends with Jacob, he slowly starts to build up his trust but I think that will be to let him back down again. He’s just using Jacob for his own benefit, which you get the impression he’s done for a lot of his life.”

In his scenes, Damon blackmails Nick over the money the latter lent from Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) for the Bistro.

“It’s all about the opportunity for Damon and how he can get around Nick and Leanne, which is by a bit of blackmail really,” Griffiths explained.

“Harvey has lent this money to Nick for Sam which he’s invested in the Bistro but Damon says, ‘Actually, I lent that money to Harvey so it’s my stake in the business.’ Nick doesn’t want Leanne to know about the deal he did with Harvey so that’s how Damon has got Nick in his back pocket.

“He blackmails Nick and puts him in a position where he can’t say anything to Leanne so he’s forced to go along with what Damon wants.”

Who plays Damon on Coronation Street?

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Jack James Ryan as Jacob Hay and Ciarán Griffiths as his dad Damon in Coronation Street.
ITV

English actor Ciarán Griffiths portrays the newcomer, a role that comes with a change of scenery as he lives in Australia.

“It’s great, a little bit far away from home as I live in Australia now with my family so that part is tough, but it’s nice to be back in Manchester to see friends, and I’m loving having the opportunity to work with some quality Northern actors who I really admire,” he said.

“I’ve really been enjoying working with Jane (Danson) again as we did The Bill together many years ago.

“It’s been great to see some other familiar faces like Samia [Longchambon], Andy Whyment, Alan Halsall, although we’ve not had scenes together yet. Also I know a lot of the crew from previous jobs so it’s nice to catch up with some old faces.”

Prior to his Corrie role, Griffiths appeared in Waterloo Road, Holby City, EastEnders and Casualty. He also starred as Mickey Maguire on Channel 4’s Shameless.

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