Coronation Street actor Gareth Pierce has been playing Todd Grimshaw since 2020, but fans were shocked to discover his real accent
Todd has become a victim of abuse at the hands of Theo Silverton
Coronation Street’s Gareth Pierce is well known for his portrayal of Todd Grimshaw, yet in real life, he sounds remarkably different.
Gareth, 45, rose to prominence when he joined the Corrie cast in 2020 as Todd Grimshaw, stepping into the role previously held by Bruno Langley, who departed the show in 2017.
Over the past six years on the long-running soap, Todd has been at the centre of some heartbreaking storylines, including the deaths of his closest friends Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) and Paul Foreman (Peter Ash).
Last year, Todd embarked on a relationship with dashing scaffolder Theo Silverton (James Cartwright), who was already married with two children.
Theo, who had kept his sexuality a secret, found himself ostracised by his family when his wife Danielle (Natalie Anderson) uncovered his affair with Todd, reports the Daily Star.
Despite initially pulling away from Todd to concentrate on his family, the pair quickly rekindled their romance, though the road has been far from smooth.
Matters took a darker turn when James Bailey (Jason Callender) drunkenly attempted to kiss Todd at number eleven, prompting Theo to deliver a stark warning. He has since continued to tighten his grip on every aspect of his boyfriend’s life.
For months, Theo has been subjecting Todd to both mental and physical abuse in a deeply disturbing domestic violence storyline. Most recently, Theo launched a brutal attack on Todd, leaving him bloodied and battered in deeply distressing scenes.
The funeral director has been quietly struggling for months, with Todd’s nearest and dearest beginning to notice that something isn’t quite right. Regrettably, their concern about his wellbeing has driven the scheming Theo to resort to increasingly extreme measures.
Theo manipulated Todd into walking down the aisle with him, but his sinister plans didn’t stop there. The conniving villain subsequently schemed to spirit his new husband away to Belfast, far from his loved ones and support network.
Todd informed Theo that he wasn’t prepared to relocate, prompting the villain to confiscate his phone and hold him captive. As a Weatherfield resident is set to meet a grisly end in an upcoming whodunnit, could Theo be next in line?
Away from the Manchester-based soap, Gareth has left fans stunned after revealing his real-life accent. Last year, he took to Instagram to wish the Welsh women’s football team well as they competed in the Euros.
Sporting a Welsh football shirt, Gareth, who hails from Gwynedd in Wales, said: “Massive week ahead in the Women’s Euros. Wales and England both playing today, but also playing each other on Sunday. Big showdown. Obviously, I’m shouting for Wales.”
Speaking in Welsh, he added: “Good luck, Wales. Let’s go. Come on, Wales!”
Soap devotees were left gobsmacked after watching the clip, as Todd’s Mancunian accent on Coronation Street is worlds apart from Gareth’s natural Welsh lilt.
Flocking to the comments, one viewer wrote: “You learn something new every day. Did not know he was Welsh”, while another added: “Love the slight Welsh accent.
“Didn’t know you were Welsh”, a third chimed in as another exclaimed: “Didn’t know he was welsh c’mon Cymru.”
“Are you Welsh, mate?” asked one fan while another stated: “Mind blown!”
Coronation Street airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX