DI Ray viewers spot Coronation Street star in debut episode of new ITV drama

THE wait was finally over as new crime drama DI Ray hits our screens with viewers "hooked" within minutes.

After an explosive opening scene, viewers continued to be gripped after spotting a Coronation Street legend in the first few minutes of the new ITV drama.

Owen Armstrong actor Ian Puleston-Davies appeared as Superintendent Ross Beardsmore.

He appeared opposite eponymous character DI Richita Ray, played by Bend It Like Beckham star Parminder Nagra.

The superintendent was offering DI Ray a promotion after she successfully deescalated a potentially violent situation while off duty.

Fans were very distracted seeing the Corrie actor popping up on another show.

"Oh, bit of a change from building work eh, Owen from Corrie…!" tweeted one fan.

Another added: "It’s Owen Armstrong off Corrie."

And a third wrote: "Is Ian Puleston-Davies playing Superintendent Ross Beardsmore in ? He was Owen Armstrong in."

Owen appeared on Corrie from 2010 to 2015 and was the father of Joseph's mum Katy (Georgia May Foote).

DI Ray is the new four-part series on ITV and is written by Line of Duty actress and screenwriter Maya Sondhi.

Filming for the crime series began in the Midlands during the Autumn of 2021.

The star-studded cast includes Sam Baker-Jones (Damned), Maanuv Thiara (Line of Duty), Ezra Faroque Khan (Melvin Goes to Dinner), Helen George (Call the Midwife), and Peter Bankole (Peaky Blinders) to name a few.

The series is set in Birmingham, where DI Ray introduces viewers to Leicester-born Rachita Ray, a police officer who has just achieved the promotion of her dreams when she is asked to join a homicide investigation.

Although it soon becomes clear that the reason for her being chosen for the role was because the murder case is 'Culturally Specific'.

Despite her hard work and dedication to the police industry, she begins to questions if her heritage rather than her skill set has seen her go up the promotional ladder.

Unwilling to let this get to her, the detective sets out to find the killer and get justice.

However, it's not as plain sailing as one would hope, and DI finds herself lingering in the world of organised crime.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that DI Ray has her own personal mission as she begins to learn about her own identity.