Coronation Street star Rob Mallard has hinted that Daniel Osbourne could be shifting his attention from Sinead Tinker and on to a new love interest.
The actor, who has been embroiled in a will-they-won’t-they saga with Katie McGlynn’s character for months, said he is hoping for more scenes close to Cindy Watson (Esther Hall).
Having recently taken up a job as a journalist at the Weatherfield Gazette, fans of the ITV soap have already seen a touch of flirtation blossom between the pair.
Asked if things will progress further, Mallard said: “I am hopeful that it will be because I really liked working with Esther Hall.
“Daniel doesn’t trust women because he keeps getting hurt by them, but Cindy comes in with opportunity for him.”
But his job could land him in hot water elsewhere, as the actor revealed that Daniel could soon be facing the Pat Phelan treatment if he continues to sniff around the notorious character’s devious business.
Commenting on the intensifying interaction between the pair, Mallard said: “The interaction that they have had in the past is finding Ken (Barlow) at the bottom of the stairs. Daniel was guilty in that scenario (of pushing Ken) and Phelan’s response was to be suspicious of Daniel.
“I think they have both underestimated each other and it will be interesting to see if each of them realises how clever the other one is.
“They are both incredibly calculating and they are both social manipulators. Daniel is very good at recognising if a conversation is about to expose him and he knows how to push it in a different direction, and Phelan is brilliant at that as well.
“Daniel doesn’t realise how much danger he actually is in with Phelan. You know when there is a fly that just won’t stop?
“It’s like that relationship at the minute: Phelan is the waterhog and Daniel is the little blue bottle that keeps flying around his head. Inevitably he is something that needs to be swatted.”
Even filming with Connor McIntyre can be an intimidating experience, Mallard confessed, adding: “He doesn’t blink. He is constantly locked in. Connor just stares you down and he has a lot of gravitas as a performer.
:: Coronation Street continues on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday.