Coronation Street star Oliver Farnworth reveals his secret party celebrations after being headhunted

‘When I got the call, I was in total disbelief. I was shocked’

Landing a part in one of TV’s most famous shows is every actor’s dream.

But Corrie star Oliver Farnworth has told of his delight at being headhunted for the part of Andy Carver and his partying celebrations.

“I initially auditioned for the role of Callum,” Oliver told The Sunday Post.

“I got a call from my agent saying I wasn’t quite right for that, but there was something else coming up that they were interested in seeing me for.

“I actually didn’t even have to do a screen test, they just offered me the role, which is unheard of.

“That’s the beauty of life as an actor it can turn on a sixpence sometimes. That’s what keeps me going.

“I was in my garden in London when I got the call and I was in total disbelief. I was so shocked. We went out celebrating that night well, that week actually!”

Andy has been at the heart of one of Weatherfield’s biggest, if most complex, storylines.

He’s been living a double life at the Bistro after stealing the identity of flatmate Gavin Rodwell, long-lost son of Michael, played by Les Dennis.

It becomes an ever more tangled web that has now ensnared Steph (Tisha Merry) and Michael’s fiance Gail (Helen Worth).

“A huge spanner was thrown in the works when Gavin returned from travelling,” explains Oliver as he takes a break at the new Salford Quay studios.

“He finds out what Andy’s been doing and is absolutely furious. Instead of going to the police or going to Michael to try to reconcile things, he blackmails Andy and Steph.”

That sees a Bistro robbery and Gail learning of the lie before things take the most dramatic of twists with Gavin dying in a car crash.

The funeral this week just results in more mayhem as the secret continues to be hidden from Michael for fear of the impact on his ailing heart.

“Andy has real mixed emotions after Gavin’s death,” reveals Yorkshire-born Oliver.

“He feels sadness at the loss of his friend plus a huge feeling of guilt over what he’s done.

“But that’s tinged with relief that Gavin’s not in the picture any more and this whole mess might go away.”

Despite Andy’s chequered time on the cobbles, Oliver says viewers have been surprisingly supportive.

“They’ve been on board from the moment they learned about the lie. It’s been written in such a way that it’s not all doom-and-gloom.

“There have been twists and turns, a bit of comedy and this lovely romance with Steph.

“So it has a bit of an uplifting feeling of this guy showing up with nothing and now having a job and girlfriend.

“The audience has enjoyed the underdog story and the scrapes and mishaps and there’s a lot more to come.”

Oliver was a regular in the last series of ITV’s period drama Mr Selfridge, but was previously best known as a psychotic student in Hollyoaks.

So, although soap life isn’t new to him, Oliver says there’s a big difference between the audiences.

“There’s a younger crowd with Hollyoaks and they don’t really bother respecting your personal space,” says Oliver.

“They’ll see you as someone off the TV and will come rushing up to you and want pictures.

“But there’s a different demographic with Corrie and people want to chat to you.

“I met a bloke at the tram stop earlier who stopped me and shook my hand.

“He must have been about 70 and he didn’t want a picture, he wanted to talk about the show.

“There’s a more in-depth interest from the public, which is great.

“I’m always happy to speak to people at the end of the day they’re keeping us in a job!”

While Oliver is lapping up his newfound success in a national institution, he says his mum and dad are equally made up.

“I have to give them all the credit for backing me in what they knew was a high risk industry,” he adds.

“They’ve always been there for me at pantos and fringe shows back in the day.”