Chris Gascoyne has developed crippling back problems working on ‘Coronation Street’.
The 46-year-old actor has played alcoholic Peter Barlow on the ITV soap for 14 years and admits pretending to have the shakes from alcohol withdrawal has left him with serious back pain in real life.
He explained: "It is hard work to be drunk and fighting and crying. I’ve had to see an osteopath for my back and neck because of all the tension and shaking … Sweating and shaking and then saying your lines on top of all that turmoil, it is difficult and it’s mentally exhausting too.
"I end up with a headache. I go home and really feel like I’ve gone through it."
Chris also admitted that recent scenes that saw Peter clash with hardman Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson) in prison didn’t help, as his co-star can get carried away with the action.
He continued to The Sun newspaper: "And every time Jim McDonald gets a chance he throws me all around and he’s a big fella.
"Sometimes he takes it a bit too seriously – it’s physical!"
The Nottinghamshire-born star is set to leave the soap later this year when his current storyline – which is seeing him on trial for the alleged murder of his mistress Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) – comes to an end but he’s confessed it will be hard to let go of the role.
Chris added: "Playing Peter is like living another life because I’m playing him more than I am myself. I can separate the two, obviously, but it’s always on my mind. I’m always working on him."
Chris Gascoyne developed back problems on Coronation Street
