Tony Maudsley is one of the most important members of the Coronation Street cast.

The actor from Kirkby joined the show as George Shuttleworth in 2020 and has continued to be a mainstay ever since. Tony has won acclaim for his performances and is likely to be a key part of an upcoming storyline after distressing scenes in Friday’s show.

The character’s sister, Glenda, was attacked as the Rovers Return was robbed on the most recent episode. Glenda has tried to brush off the incident but the final scene on the latest programme revealed she is still traumatized by what happened and is likely to need all the support from her close friends and family to get through a trying time.

Tony’s importance to Corrie looks set to continue for the foreseeable and the 56-year-old wouldn’t have it any other way. He signed a contract last year that extends to at least July 2024 as he told fans on social media platform X: “I couldn’t be happier.”

George wasn’t the first time Tony appeared on the famous Cobbles as he previously told Lorraine Kelly when he rejoined the show in 2020: “Corrie was my very first job out of drama school, so I’ve kind of come full circle 30 years later. I did a scene with Roy Barraclough, so here I am back 30 years later.”

Tony loves his role on the soap and has admitted he harbours no plans of exiting anytime soon. He told Inside Soap in 2021: “They can’t get rid of George, as there would be no one to bury him! I hope that doesn’t happen in the near future, as I’m happy on Corrie.”

Tony is proud of his Merseyside roots and paid tribute to another of the region’s legends this week as he urged fans to watch the final TV show Paul O’Grady filmed before his death last year. Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure is broadcast at 8pm tonight on ITV to mark the first anniversary since the Birkenhead entertainer’s sad passing.