Alan Halsall was too shy to speak to his ‘Coronation Street’ castmates for his first year on set.
The 36-year-old soap star was just 16 when he first appeared on the cobbles as mechanic Tyrone Dobbs, and he admitted it was intimidating appearing alongside the show’s biggest stars.
Reflecting on two decades on ‘Corrie’, he told Whats On TV: "It’s surreal that I’ve been here for so long.
"It’s such an odd thing – I appreciate that it’s been twenty years but I also remember my first day like it was yesterday.
"Because I was 16, I was put straight into the adult green room. It was really daunting to see these people who were all legends; I was literally terrified! I’m normally quite loud, but I don’t think I spoke for about a year!"
He settled into life on the cobbles, and he has credited late stars Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn – who played on-screen couple Jack and Vera Duckworth – with his longevity.
He explained: "I genuinely believe that I wouldn’t be on the show now if it wasn’t for the both of them. Work-wise and in my personal life, they were real guides for me, and I owe them so much."
Meanwhile, Alan was also asked whether he would like to last another 20 years on the soap and see his alter ego Tyrone continue his work in the garage.
He admitted: "As an actor, that’s not a decision I get to make. But I’d like to think so. Tyrone’s a home bird and he’s very settled.
"I’m very humbled to be a small part of this show, which is the biggest thing on television. If you’re enjoying a job and you get so much from it, why change?"
Alan Halsall didn’t speak to Corrie co-stars ‘for about a year’
