Vera ITV stardom 'ruled out' for soap legend as they sign up for new TV drama

Hopes that a Coronation Street legend will appear in the last ever series have been dashed as, whilst he is in Newcastle to film something, it's not the hit crime drama, but a new thriller set to be on TV next year.

Fans of Chris Gascoyne, famous for playing Peter Barlow for decades in the ITV soap linked the actor to a role in Vera series 14, after he was snapped posing for a picture with a fan on Tyneside. The photo was quickly shared to social media and viewers were left claiming they were 'waiting for an announcement' on Chris joining Brenda Blethyn and her co-stars in the cast.

However, while the cast and crew of Vera are busy filming its new series in the North East right now, that's not the show Chris has signed up for; instead, he is joining Jill Halfpenny to shoot new Channel 5 drama The Feud. Geordie actress Jill and Derry Girls star Jamie Lee O'Donnell were spotted shooting scenes in Jarrow over the weekend and they,. together with Chris and a host of other famous faces, are set to continue filming the show over the coming weeks.

READ MORE Channel 5 drama The Feud takes over Jarrow as Jill Halfpenny and Derry Girls star spotted

A teaser for The Feud reveals that the six-part series will focus will on a couple who appear to live an idyllic life with their teenage daughter on Shelbury Drive, next to neighbours they consider friends. However, when they decide to add a kitchen extension to their house, relationships spin out of control as objections are raised and life-threatening secrets begin to surface.

Now that Chris has been ruled out of being in Vera's final series, speculation is bound to continue on who WILL be involved, especially given the fact that the drama has had no shortage of unexpected cameos over the years, from the likes of Charlie Hardwick, Denise Welch and Tim Healy's youngest son Louis, The Bill legend Eric Richard and Jack Ellis, famous for playing Bad Girls villain Jim Fenner.