Coronation Street star Aaron McCusker has been seen reprising one of his well-known roles away from the famous cobbles. The actor made his debut in the ITV soap as Ben Driscoll, the partner of Eva Price, who secretly brought her to the Rovers Return before revealing all by returning her to Weatherfield towards the end of October last year.
The actor was not alone in joining the cast at the time, as viewers were also introduced to Ben's mother, and Eva's 'mother-in-law from hell', Maggie, played by Father Ted legend Pauline McLynn, who dropped the bombshell that she was in fact the owner of the Rovers, having bailed her son out of his money predicament.
The Driscoll clan have been at the centre of the Weatherfield drama ever since, with Ben recently discovering that his father is actually the late Jim McDonald, making Steve McDonald his half-brother, and that his mum had a role in who he thought was his father's death when he was just a kid. The family are also dealing with the fallout of discovering that Ben's son, Will, was the victim of groomer Megan Walsh, with the teen recently telling the police the truth about his relationship with his athletics coach and Weatherfield High teacher.
But amidst the drama unfolding on-screen, Aaron has been busy filming a new project away from his Corrie role. Away from the famous cobbles, the soap star is also known as a cast member on Hope Street. The Northern Irish BBC crime series, which has been airing since 2021, follows the police force of the fictional coastal town Port Devine. Filming is currently underway on a feature-length special called One of Our Own - A Hope Street Film, which will include Aaron reprising his role of Clint Dunwoody.
As per Digital Spy, he has been seen in a series of behind-the-scenes Instagram pictures, shared by hair and makeup artist Shelley Blair. "Great first week shooting Hope Street One of our Own," the caption of the picture post read, which included a snap of Aaron getting a shave in the hair and makeup chair. The publication added that it understands Aaron has been fitting the project in alongside his commitments at Corrie, so fans should not see an on-screen absence or break for Ben.
It was announced earlier this month that comedians Paddy Raff and Tim McGarry will make their Hope Street debuts in the fictional town of Port Devine, as they guest star in a feature-length special of the popular police drama series. The special will air on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC Daytime later this autumn, following a theatrical release in cinemas across Northern Ireland in September 2026, with further cinematic releases across the UK in October 2026.
According to the BBC: "The story opens with a violent crime committed against a much-loved local and the police investigation brings bad news for Detective Sergeant Marlene Pettigrew. Love is also in the air and there’s a wedding to plan, but this is Port Devine, what could possibly go wrong?"
