The last person we ever expected is set to return to Coronation Street

He was last seen in 2003.

But notorious serial killer Richard Hillman is set to make a return to Weatherfield. The character, played by Brian Capron, claimed a number of lives on the cobbles, before he tried to kill his wife Gail and her kids by driving the car into a canal. Gail's ex-husband Martin Platt, who is also set to make a return to the show, saved her and the kids from the water - while Richard drowned in the car. He's now set to haunt Gail from beyond the grave, after she gets involved with a clairvoyant via her mum, Audrey. Soap bosses confirmed on Thursday that Harry Potter's Sophie Thompson was cast as a "quirky medium" named Rosemary, who visits Audrey's salon and convinces her she has been contact by her late husband Alf. Gail is initially dismissive of Rosemary and her "abilities", and tries to warn her mum to be careful. However, it doesn't end up being too long before Rosemary starts to say she is getting messages from Gail's dead husbands - and she's keen to know what they're saying. But it turns out that Rosemary's mystical communications may not be as they appear - and she might have a hidden connection to Richard. A 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. “Bosses have got a big name in Sophie to play the clairvoyant too. It should be a real trip down memory lane for Gail. “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.”