Coronation Street fans will be over the moon to hear that supervillain Richard Hillman is RETURNING to the cobbles... 15 years after his death!
YEP. According to The Sun, the world's most notorious soap killer in HISTORY is returning to the scene of the crime.
But how is he coming back to Corrie when he was most certainly dead after he plunged to his death in the canal trying to drown the whole Platt family?
GALLERY: 17 of the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history
17 of the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history - SLIDER with cover pic
Coronation Street
Jimmy King and Kelly Windsor, Emmerdale
Kelly Windsor had a VERY tumultuous life in the Dales. Her relationship with Jimmy King began as a brief fling, but it ended after he discovered she was working as a glamour model and didn't like it. They eventually got married,
Kelly Windsor and Jimmy King
Sadly, Kelly and Jimmy's relationship fell apart after she had a secret abortion and he couldn't forgive her for it, but what a steamy passion they had together!
Sharon Mitchell and Phil Mitchell, EastEnders
Blimey, don't EastEnders writers LOVE pitting siblings against each other in a love triangle?! And why is it always the Mitchells?! Anyway. Sharon married her abusive boyfriend Grant - but falls for his sensitive brother, Phil.
Sharon Watts and Phil Mitchell
And we all remember how that one turned out, don't we? Shaz's friend Michelle accidentally recorded them talking about how she had feelings for Phil, leaving Grant to find it and, of course, play it to the ENTIRE population of Walford in the Queen Vic at Phil and Kathy's engagement party.
Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Ok, we know this one isn't so much steamy as ABSOLUTELY GROSS, but it's pretty controversial so we simply couldn't ignore it. Dodger and Sienna conceived a baby when they were 13 after a brief encounter, but Sienna's father Patrick gave her away.
Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Fast forward however many years and they meet again - but they soon realise that despite sleeping together and having a baby, they're actually LONG LOST TWIN SIBLINGS. NOOOOO.
Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Kim Tate is one of the most loved/hated characters in soap history. She is best remembered for seeming utterly evil, and her failed relationships were the stuff of legend.
Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Despite her many passionate kisses, Kim rolling around in hay in a barn is just too classic Emmerdale to leave out.
Sinead O'Connor and Tony Hutchinson, Hollyoaks
Don't the soaps just LOVE an incestuous affair?! Sinead O'Connor (lol) embarked on an illicit affair with her stepfather Tony Hutchinson, who was married to her mum Diane.
Hollyoaks
Initially, Sinead only seduced Tony to get back at her mum, but then the pair fall in love for real and have a full-blown affair. She even thinks she's pregnant by him at one stage, before discovering he's infertile and Ste was actually the father.
Peter Barlow and Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street
Tina McIntyre had a very troubled life on the Street - what with her dad being killed, being a surrogate mother and having abortion. Oh, and then being killed herself. Her relationship with Peter, a much older man, began as an illicit affair as he was at that point engaged to marry Carla Connor.
Coronation Street
But they're not bothered about that, and have their first passionate snog on Peter's actual wedding day to Carla after she's passed out drunk. They then embark on an affair - before Carla's brother Rob murders her.
Coronation Street
Linda and Mark basically couldn't keep their hands off of each other. She married Mike anyway, but continued sleeping with his son. Of course! What else would she do?!
Linda Baldwin and Mark Redman, Coronation Street
This was yet ANOTHER incestuous affair - Underworld machinist Linda embarked on an affair with her boss Mike Baldwin, but when his son Mark Redman re-entered his life after years away, things got spicy...
Kate Connor and Rana Nazir, Coronation Street
Along a similar vein, Kate and Rana are currently caught up in an illicit affair - which is a bit awkward for Muslim Rana who is married to Zeedan.
Coronation Street
After initially writing off her jealousy at Kate's relationship, Rana slowly began to realise that it was more than just over-protectiveness of her friend. They soon began an affair - what will happen next? We wonder...
Deirdre Barlow and Dev Alahan, Coronation Street
Now these two were the most unlikely couple EVER. You'd would never have put them together - yet there they were, getting down and dirty on Deirdre's carpet.
Coronation Street
In the weirdest twist of events, Dev started going out with Deirdre's daughter Tracy - but that soon ends after their one-night stand is inevitably found out.
Moira Barton and Cain Dingle, Emmerdale
Moira has only been in Emmerdale for seven years, but she's achieved a LOT in that time. During her stint on the show, she and nemesis Cain have been rather entangled as they enjoyed an affair whilst she was married to her childhood sweetheart John, before they actually got married themselves.
Emmerdale
More recently, Moira fell pregnant - but wasn't sure who the father was. But of course, it was Cain's!
Robert Sugden and Aaron Barton, Emmerdale
Aaron and Robert were initially just friends, and Robert was engaged to Chrissie White. But things all changed when Aaron confessed that he was gay to Robert, triggering him to realise his own feelings...
Emmerdale
After luring Aaron to a random side of the road pretending that his car has broken down, the pair eventually acted on their secret desires and have a good old snog.
Bernice Blackstock and Carlos Diaz, Emmerdale
Bernice was married to the lovely, gentle Ashley Thomas (RIP), but in Soapland that's never enough is it! She started an affair with her sister Nicola's fiancé, Carlos Diaz.
Emmerdale
And obviously, Bernice fell pregnant - not knowing who the father was. She gave birth to a baby girl named Gabrielle, and after much to-ing and fro-ing, discovered that it was Ashley who was her father. Phew!
Max Branning and Stacey Slater, EastEnders
Stacey Slater and Bradley Branning were literally the cutest couple to ever appear on EastEnders. Despite the fact that they were complete opposites, their relationship was the stuff of DREAMS.
EastEnders
...That is, until Stacey started sleeping with his dad, Max. People across the country will ALWAYS remember the moment that Lauren revealed Max and Stacey's affair to the world with a home video that accidentally filmed Max and Stacey snogging on her wedding day to Bradley. Awks.
Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning, EastEnders
Now this was the ULTIMATE betrayal. Ronnie and Jack were in love with each other for the longest time, and were in this sort of weird on-off thing for ages. They FINALLY were able to put their past aside and get married, but we all know how that ended...
EastEnders
In the midst of all this, Roxy and Jack had a passionate one-night stand - despite the fact that Ronnie knew full well that her sister was in love with Jack, Roxy slept with him and became pregnant.
EastEnders
Tragically, Jamie was killed by none other than Martin himself, and Sonia stayed with him until his death in the hospital on Christmas Day 2002.
Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell, EastEnders
Sonia and Jamie were just two messed up kids who found happiness with each other - that is, until Sonia found out she was pregnant by Martin Fowler after a one-night stand. Despite this, they put their trouble behind them and got married.
Christian Clarke and Syed Massood, EastEnders
Now THIS was a forbidden love if ever we've seen one. Syed and Christian slowly fell in love over time - but Syed's Muslim background meant that it was utterly prohibited. And so much more tantalising...
EastEnders
Of course, they couldn't stay away from each other for long, and ended up in a steamy lip-locking sesh. After MANY ups and downs, they tied the knot and moved to American to start a new life together. Naww.
Brendan Brady and Ste Hay, Hollyoaks
Despite this being one of the weirdest soap couples ever, we all found ourselves kind of rooting for poor little Ste and abusive Brendan.
Hollyoaks
They did have a relationship together, but it was short-lived - and Brendan's near-death experience at the hands of police was truly heart-wrenching. He was then carted off to prison to live out his days... But could he one day return?
Beth Jordache and Margaret Clemence, Brookside
We couldn't have a gallery of steamy soap kisses without including one of the most iconic snogs of them all. The first pre-watershed lesbian kiss aired in the UK happened in 1994 was acted out by Anna Friel and Nicola Stephenson, who played Beth and Margaret.
Brookside
It was also included in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, which was broadcast live and uncensored in 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal, meaning that it became the first homosexual kiss to be broadcast in those countries.
Is it a Dirty Den situation? Did he secretly escape his watery fate and is returning to wreak more havoc?
Well... In a word, no.
Poor old Gail is going to start having some strange experiences very soon - she takes a trip to see a clairvoyant and ends up connecting with none other than Hillman himself.
WATCH: Richard Hillman drives the Platt family into the canal
A soap source told The Sun: "Richard coming back will get fans talking massively. He was one of the most terrifying characters ever to step onto the cobbles.
"He won’t be on screen, but his conversations with Gail will form a major storyline over the coming weeks."
AHH this sounds brilliant and terrifying!
But that's not all there is to report around Richard's "return" - the clairvoyant who Gail speaks to is another familiar face.
Sophie Thompson, sister of A-list actress Emma Thompson, will be taking on the role to channel Richard.
Not only was she in Four Weddings And A Funeral, but she more recently played Insane Stella on EastEnders - Phil's wife who traumatised young Ben.
But the TV source has hinted that she's not just any old clairvoyant - she might not even be a psychic at ALL.
They said: "The story is going to run for a few weeks and Sophie’s character has a bit of a back story too.
"It’s not clear whether she might have a previous link to Richard but she’s certainly a mixed bag."
So has Richard's daughter/wife/obsessive stalker returned to enact some revenge on Gail for his death?!
Blimey - it's all kicking off in Weatherfield.
This comes after the news that Sean Wilson who plays Martin Platt is returning to the Street 13 years after his last appearance on the soap.
Whilst his reappearance won't be a permanent addition to the show, he will apparently be in it for a "for a good few weeks."
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