Emmerdale Faith Dingle star joins Coronation Street in dramatic new role

AFTER close to two decades of absence from soap land, one star made her way back to screens during a recent trip to Weatherfield.

Best known for portraying Emmerdale's Faith Dingle, the actress has taken on a new role in Coronation Street in a hard-hitting storyline.

Joseph Brown's health has been a growing cause for concern after Gemma Winter took him to hospital, convinced he was ill.

ITV viewers were convinced the lad played by William Flanagan would be thrown into his own health ordeal as his uncle Paul Foreman struggles to cope with his worsening motor neurone disease.

Despite being confident in the knowledge that his son was acting more poorly than he really was, Chesney Brown dismissed his wife Gemma's concerns.

However, he was forced to admit he was wrong when Joseph was brought into hospital again and doctors finally agreed with the mother of five.

In more recent scenes of the Manchester-based program, the Winter-Brown clan celebrated an early Christmas as Bernie Winter waited for her sentencing for handling stolen goods, fully aware she'd miss out on her son Paul's last celebrations.

But the happy family moment was interrupted by the arrival of a social worked named Caitlin, played by none other than Gillian Jephcott.

Despite only making a handful of appearances since last week, many viewers of the long-running show have recognised her for her role in rival soap Emmerdale.

The actress is best known for playing witty matriarch Faith Dingle in the Yorkshire-based program from 2000 to 2004.

Faith, as viewers will recall, returned to the eponymous village in 2017 but Gillian had been replaced as she left the role to West End star Sally Dexter.

Sally portrayed Faith until her on-screen death in October, 2022, while Gillian mostly remained away from the spotlight.

But she could be set for a more prominent presence in the cobbles as her character interrupted the beloved Corrie family's Christmas celebrations with bad news.

Upon her arrival at No.5, Caitlin revealed she made the trip to question Gemma over whether she poisoned young Joseph on purpose.

Horrified, Gemma then made her way to Paul and Billy Mayhew's home where Caitlin explained she needed to follow a strict and thorough procedure, despite the possibility of her being a good parent to her five children.

And with Linda Hancock's own return to Weatherfield in upcoming scenes, one could expect Gillian's character to work closely with the Winter-Brown family.

How will it all play out?

Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8pm on ITV.