Coronation Street star makes surprise return to soap this week – ten years after cobbles debut
A FORMER Coronation Street star looks set to make a return to the world of soap ten years after her cobbles debut.
The popular character has appeared intermittently since August 2014 and been involved in various large storylines.
Christine Mackie has appeared on Coronation Street in four different roles and now she is set to return in her most recent one as local medic Dr Gaddass.
Devout Corrie fans might remember her first role in 1989 when she played a nurse at the Victoria Hospital in Blackpool.
Bet Lynch had taken her friend Rita Fairclough to the hospital because Rita needed help.
Bet was worried about Rita's relationship with Alan Bradley and what it had done to her friend's mind.
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But while the sympathetic nurse took some details from the worried Bet, Rita ran away.
In 1992, Christine returned to play the role of Chris Jones, a tutor at the School of Nursing.
Martin Platt who was married to Gail and father to David Platt, attended the college to start his nursing career and she became his tutor.
Eighteen years later in 2010, Christine reappeared in a totally different role as Bella, a dancing instructor.
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Hayley Cropper and Anna Windass attended Bella's Salsa classes where Bella persuaded Hayley to buy a dazzling dress.
However, Roy Cropper wasn't pleased at the purchase and Bella watched an embarrassing argument between the couple about the dress.
In 2014, Christine joined the Rosamund Street Medical Centre as Dr Susan Gaddas ,a general practitioner.
She has been involved in various storylines, many of them fan favourites since then.
Her first patient was Max Turner who was brought into the clinic by his parents David and Kylie Platt. Max's behaviour was out of control and his parents needed help.
Corrie's most famous villains
- Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) - arguably the most famous villain in soap history. The character has multiple killings to his name. Richard left his former business partner Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe) to die before he murdered his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion) who threatened to expose his dodgy dealings. He attempted to kill his mother-in-law Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) by setting her house on fire. He later killed her co-worker Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) after she caught him in the act of attempting to strike Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) with a crowbar. Eventually he confessed his crimes to Gail (Helen Worth) before driving the Platt family into the canal. They all survived, but Richard drowned.
- Mad Maya (Sasha Behar) - She may not have the most kills to her name, but no true Corrie fan will be able to forget 'Mad Maya's' stint. Maya Sharma first started out as an innocent lawyer. However her true nature was revealed when she kidnapped Tyronne's () dog and threatened to kill Dev Alahan () unless he proposed. Things soon turn nasty when Sunita () received the news that she has a brain tumour. The pair rekindle their romance and they end up getting married. However, Maya ruined their big day by reporting Sunita to the police for bigamy. Not done there, she plans to kill them both as she sets fire to all of Dev's shop empire and trapping them both upstairs after she set fire to the corner shop with the gas and stove on. When they are miraculously rescued, she attempts to run them over.
- Pat Pheelan (Connor McIntyre) - Pat was introduced as an acquaintance of Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies), before embarking on a revenge plot. He creates a fraudulent property scheme which caused the death of Michael Rodwell (Les Dennis). He kidnapped Andy Carver (Oliver Farnworth) and Vinny Ashford (Ian Kelsey). This was before he framed his arch-nemesis Anna Windass for GBH after he pushed Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni) off a ladder. He then murdered both Any as well as Luke Britton (Dean Fagan). He eventually met a gruesome end when he held most of the residents of the street hostage in the Bistro. He was stabbed by Anna Windass after he shot Michelle (Kym Marsh).
- Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) - Geoff started off as the innocent father to Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) and he was a local Weatherfield celebrity owing to his radio show and his 'The Great Magnifico' magic act. He later embarked on a romantic relationship and married with Yasmeen (Shelley King). However, he had a nasty streak as he controlled her in every way. He made sure she was reliant on him for everything including financially, he constantly bullied and belittled her, locked her in the magician's box despite the fact she was claustrophobic, and he even forced her to eat her own pet chicken. Later she snapped and stabbed him in the neck. This was before she was arrested for attempted murder. However, his nearest and dearest soon discovered his true nature and they turned against him. He tried to sabotage the trial by threatening his ex-wife, but she stood up to him in an epic court showdown. After Yasmeen was released, Geoff died shortly after when he set fire to their home and fell off the roof.
- Kirsty Soames (Natalie Gumede) - Kirsty was first seen on Corrie on a night out when Tommy Duckworth (Chris Fountain) paid her to flirt with Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). Later she makes her interest very clear and they end up together. After she gets sacked from her job as a policewoman, Tyrone gets her a job at Underworld factory as a packer. She is utterly horrified and she lashed out at Tyrone with a ladle. Kirsty apologised and Tyrone pretended to all his friends the injuries were accidental. However, this pattern continued. Over several incidents she forced him up against a door, smashed household plates and pictures, bruised him after beating him with a vacuum cleaner, throws a candlestick at his head and she locks him inside the house. However, one time she tried to hit him but she lost her balance and fell down the stairs. She lies to the police and tells them that it was Tyrone who was beating her. Tyrone was put in prison after he broke bail conditions when he went on the run with his daughter. During the period of the trial, she struggles to look after baby Ruby. She throws a cup at Julie (Katy Cavanagh) before exposing her own behaviour by slapping her. Kirst then stormed into the courtroom and confessed that she was the monster, not Tyrone.
Dr Gaddas eventually diagnosed Max with ADHD and referred him to a child psychologist.
She went on to treat many Coronation Street residents including Beth Tinker who had hives from an allergic reaction and an upset Steve McDonald who she diagnosed with depression.
She has also helped patients with eating disorders, drug addictions and heart palpitations but most poignant of all was her heart warming treatment of Sinead Tinker.
Sinead was dying of cancer and did not want to die in a hospital so was allowed to stay in her flat with her beloved son Bertie and partner Daniel.
Her mother, Beth Tinker asked Dr Gaddas around to check up on her and the Doctor made sure that Sinead was comfortable.
Before she left she told Sinead that she was deeply loved by everyone on the street and brought her baby son into see her.
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It remains to be seen what new storylines Dr Gaddas will be involved in or why she is returning to the cobbles after so long.
Coronation Street airs on ITV and is available to stream on ITVX.