Coronation Street legend Malcolm Hebden to 'return as Norris Cole next year'

Coronation Street busybody Norris Cole could be coming back to the Cobbles next year, according to co-star Patti Clare.

Clare, who plays Mary Taylor on the ITV soap, teased that the legendary soap actor Malcolm Hebden could be returning to Weatherfield after months away as early as next year.

Asked about a return for Cabin owner Norris Cole, Clare told This Morning’s Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes that there is a “faint whisper” on set about a comeback.

The actress said: “Allegedly. He's in Peru at the moment.

“Mary speaks to him on the phone often, so there's a faint sort of whisper that he might be back, maybe next year?”

Coronation Street declined to comment when approached by Standard Online.

Hebden’s character was last seen on screen in December, having been a regular fixture on the long-running soap since 1994, and it was later revealed that he had travelled to Peru to meet up with his friend Emily Bishop.

In July, Hebden revealed that he had been seriously ill after a heart attack and had been in an induced coma, but was finally on the mend.

The 78-year-old told the Blackpool Gazette: “Most of December I was in an induced coma, in the care of these brilliant, wonderful people at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).

“Fortunately I didn’t realise how bad it was; I was dying. The cardiac team, headed by Mr Zacharias, simply saved my life.

“I was informed by my doctor I had had at least one heart attack. While there I collapsed and was brought here to Blackpool Victoria - where I was operated on, in a process described as ‘ground-breaking’. The heart attack tore a hole in my heart, they operated and took a chance.”

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV. This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.