{"id":21928,"date":"2022-09-12T22:00:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T20:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1702311"},"modified":"2022-09-12T22:32:08","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T20:32:08","slug":"coronation-street-star-teases-powerful-backstory-over-spiders-secret","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/coronation-street-star-teases-powerful-backstory-over-spiders-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronation Street star teases \u201cpowerful backstory\u201d over Spider\u2019s secret"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Laura Denby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 12 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The bombshell secret that Spider Nugent has been harbouring since his return<\/a> to Coronation Street<\/a>\u00a0has finally been revealed \u2013 he is in fact an undercover police detective!<\/p>\n

Tonight, viewers saw Spider and Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor) embark on a new relationship after a heart-to-heart saw him tell her \u201cit\u2019s only ever been you\u201d. It was a heartwarming moment, but was soon followed by a furtive meeting between Spider and DS Swain (Vicky Myers).<\/p>\n

After Toyah\u2019s mother-in-law headed to the police station to out Toyah\u2019s \u2018affair\u2019 with Spider, suggesting that this was Toyah\u2019s motive for killing husband Imran (Charlie de Melo)<\/a>, DS Swain followed this up in the most unexpected way. Greeting Spider as Detective Constable Nugent, she revealed what she knew about his romance with Toyah, who is due to stand trial for murder next week.<\/p>\n

The sergeant told Spider he was playing with fire by sleeping with Toyah, but he insisted that his case had nothing to do with her. However, Swain warned him that he could lose his job and the woman he loves very easily \u2013 unless he helps her by gathering evidence against Toyah!<\/p>\n

Speaking to RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press, Martin Hancock reveals his reaction to this big revelation about his character, who has returned to the ITV soap after almost 20 years away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know initially, when I signed up,\u201d he tells us. \u201cBut it wouldn\u2019t have made a difference anyway. I think it\u2019s interesting, it\u2019s not what you expect from Spider, which is great.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a way of progressing the character, and creating new ideas for the character. He\u2019s still a very, very committed activist, but he\u2019s doing it now from inside the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what he thinks about Spider\u2019s unlikely career considering his brushes with the law, Hancock muses: \u201cI don\u2019t know, it\u2019s a strange one because there comes a point when you think, \u2018Well, can I get more done inside the system?’\u201d<\/p>

But he adds that there is a reason behind Spider\u2019s decision to join the police \u2013 and we just have to wait to find out what that is!<\/p>\n

\u201cI did wonder what the backstory was \u2013 I can\u2019t give it all away!\u201d he continues. \u201cBut there\u2019s quite a powerful backstory as to why Spider joins the police. It\u2019s very powerful, actually, so in my mind it works, even though he\u2019s had a few run-ins himself and hasn\u2019t exactly been an angel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going on to hint at what we can expect to see going forward, the actor teases: \u201cThere\u2019s a few issues in the world today which we\u2019re going to address. There\u2019s some quite nasty stuff going on, and we\u2019re going to start dipping into some of that. At the same time, he\u2019s still Spider \u2013 he\u2019s just getting a bit more, in a way, more radical, because what he\u2019s doing is going after some really dangerous stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right now, though, Spider will be distracted by the ultimatum served up by his colleague. Will he betray Toyah?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very, very, very difficult for him,\u201d Hancock adds. \u201cThe one person in the world he doesn\u2019t want to mislead or hurt is Toyah. The truth of the matter is he absolutely adores her, but he\u2019s also got his work to get on with. It\u2019s difficult, and it\u2019s a fine line he\u2019s treading.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s being pushed very hard by DS Swain, who is played brilliantly by Vicky Myers. You couldn\u2019t meet someone who is further away from the character she plays, this hard-nosed, tough cop; she plays it so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor concludes:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s really tough. She really turns the screw on Spider and places him in an almost impossible position. And the cliffhanger is: does he crumble or does he not?\u201d<\/p>\n

With Toyah set to make a huge confession to Spider, you\u2019ll just have to tune in to find out what he does next!<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n