Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson delighted to be back as Jim McDonald

He’s made more comebacks than a boomerang, but Corrie star Charlie Lawson admits he’s savouring his latest soap stint.

It’s the nick, rather than the cobbles, again as Jim McDonald’s still serving time for a bank robbery to try and get cash for his missus Liz to buy the Rovers.

Charlie hasn’t always been keen on how the tough Ulsterman’s been used over the years and initially left as he was worried by the way things were going. But he says his recent screen reappearance was a welcome one.

“I was delighted when I got the call to return to the Street,” he admits.

“I love playing Jim and when I was told about the storyline, I was really pleased with the idea. If you are going to use a character you may as well use him properly.

“I don’t think I would have been interested in coming back for one episode, just for something like a prison visit.”

The longer term future may yet to be confirmed, but viewers will see enough of the old favourite for the moment.

“I’m back for three months, which suits me fine, but I would come back again,” he explains.

“If the writing is there and the characters are there that connect him to the Street then, absolutely, I’d come back. I’m here for 30 episodes across three months so it’s a good chunky storyline.”

Chris Gascoyne’s Peter Barlow, wrongly charged with killing former mistress Tina (Michelle Keegan), is a fellow inmate at the moment. That gives Jim an opportunity to use Peter to get to his family.

“He sees it as a means to an end,” explains Charlie.

“This situation has fallen into his lap and he is going to manipulate it for his own good. If Peter wants booze and is willing to trade then Jim will supply it, whatever the situation.

“Jim wants to see Liz and Steven and he thinks Peter can help with this.”

The booze comes from the illicit trade Jim is running, a little enterprise that sees him nicknamed The Landlord.

“I think it’s great. It’s what he’d like to be on the outside, with Liz in the Rovers,” laughs Charlie.

“He has carved a niche for himself in there and he’s respected. He is an old soldier and anyone inside will tell you that ex-squaddies tend to do OK. Any lag will tell you that if you get an edge you can make your life more bearable.”

Things go wrong this week when Peter raids the stash and drinks himself into a stupor resulting in Jim having to save the day.