INNISHANNON’s Aidan O’Callaghan has joined the cast of Coronation Street - becoming the first Irish actor to appear in all three of the UK’s most popular soaps, writes Martin Steinmetz.

Aidan (36), who was a student at Hamilton High School in Bandon, can now add Corrie to his acting credits, having previously also starred in Eastenders and Emmerdale.

Aidan announced his upcoming stint on the cobbles on his social media account, posting a photo of himself outside the famous Rovers Return pub, on the set of the iconic soap in Manchester.

His character Alan will feature in a flashback storyline on Coronation Street. The episode will explore the history of the Driscoll family at the Rovers Return, adding fresh intrigue to the cobbles. In 2022, Aidan played twisted barman Lewis Butler on Eastenders who was involved in a storyline with Ben Mitchell which dealt with the issues of consent and sexual abuse.

Aidan told The Southern Star: ‘Getting the chance to step into Weatherfield is beyond anything I imagined. Working on Coronation Street is really a dream come true, and while I can’t reveal anything yet... I can promise that the drama heading to the cobbles will blow viewers away.’

His other screen appearances include Netflix’s The Witcher, Starz’s The Rook, Sky TV’s Wolfe, and the acclaimed Irish film The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan opposite Olwen Fouéré.

The in-demand actor has also ventured into producing and writing his own films.

He recently became semi-finalist for Best Short Screenplay for his film Doubting Thomas at the Waterford International Film Festival.

Growing up in West Cork, Aidan balanced acting with a career as a pharmacist and gained valuable bar experience working at his parents’ pub in Tower, which helped him land his role as a barman in EastEnders.

Coronation Street, the world’s longest-running soap since 1960, attracts around six million viewers per episode.