ITV

Coronation Street actor Gareth Pierce has been playing Todd Grimshaw since 2020, but fans were shocked to discover his real accent

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

Jeremy Clarkson’s choir has reportedly landed a starring role on his new series after wowing with their Britain’s Got Talent audition that sent them straight to the semi-finals

Jeremy Clarkson’s choir has landed a starring role on his new series after wowing with their Britain’s Got Talent audition. The former Top Gear presenter, 66, has documented the ups and downs of Diddly Squat in the Cotswolds on his Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm since 2021, with a fifth batch of episodes expected to be released later this year.

Just weeks ago, Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir auditioned for the ITV reality competition and managed to win Amanda Holden’s Golden Buzzer, sending them straight through to the semi-finals after wowing with a rendition of Elbow classic One Day Like This. Just prior to belting out the famous track, member Katrina explained to the judges that Jeremy himself had set the choir up, having been sponsored by the Hawkstone Brewery that the TV star co-owns in the Cotswolds.

With the live semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent just weeks away, insiders have revealed that the group of more than 30 farmers, will also enjoy another television stint with a role on the next series of Clarkson’s Farm.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm teams up with iconic British homeware brand for a second timeREAD MORE: Jeremy Clarkson shows off birthday cake given to him by David Beckham

A source said: “Filming for series five is well and truly under way and the finished show is likely to air next year. Fans will, however, be able to see series four in a matter of weeks, though according to Jeremy it’s a rather darker season than we’ve been used to.”

Speaking to The Sun, the source added: “Hawkstone Farmers’ ChoirBut the appearance of the Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir in the following outing is going to make it more uplifting. They’re going to have to get used to being even more famous though.”

Just after their success on BGT was aired in March, Jeremy took to social media to congratulate them. He said: “I watched Britain’s Got Talent tonight for the first time because the Hawkstone Choir were on and they were just fantastic.

“These guys are all farmers and they work incredibly hard for really incredibly small rewards, and to see them all on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing – I actually welled up.”

While visibly holding back tears he went on to thank Amanda Holden for pressing the Golden Buzzer. He added: “It shows that people quite like farmers. They were very very good, well done all of you. I’m a very happy man tonight.”

The short video attracted comments from fellow BGT viewers, one wrote: “I was crying like a baby, the sentiment, the emotion, they’re sensational. They Will Win.” Another wrote: “Truly awesome really heartfelt.”

Speaking about getting the Golden Buzzer, Katryna Shell from Northumberland said: “The choir has turned into something so much more than singing…

“We have come together as a community, something I didn’t even anticipate. The choir is filled with all sorts of people with varying ages, singing experience, parts of the country, but we all have farming linking us together – it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

Hugh Thomas, from Pembrokeshire said: “I had to pinch myself – this was really happening to an old boy from Pembrokeshire! Performing on National TV wasn’t something I ever envisaged… More importantly it will shine a light on agriculture, farming and the rural economy.”

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