Coronation Street Blog: Adam Barlow interview: Meet the new Wayne Haynes

Bolton born Adam Barlow, 32, plays Wayne Hayes, here he talks about Wayne’s return to the cobbles, his relationship with Roy, and how Wayne will ruffle a few feathers in Weatherfield.

What brings Wayne to Weatherfield?

Wayne is a health and safety investigator and he has been give the job of finding out what was the cause of the Underworld Factory collapse. He was last in Weatherfield in 2001 when he was fostered by Roy and Hayley and he decides that he wants to go and see them whilst he is there.

How does he feel when he goes into Roy’s Rolls?

For him it just pure joy and nostalgia and the time he spent there all comes flooding back. He had a troubled childhood but his time with Roy and Hayley is full of nothing but good memories. He is struck by the fact that the place looks just the same and that Roy is even wearing the same sort of clothes.

Does he have any idea that Hayley has died?

No he has no idea and he asks Roy where Hayley is, he is desperate to see them both. Roy has to break it to him that Hayley has died, Wayne is very saddened by the news , Hayley was a big part of his life.

What sort of man is Wayne?

Wayne had a terrible upbringing, he was physically abused by his stepdad Alex, he could have gone down a very different path but thanks largely to Roy and Hayley he has carved out a good career and a good life for himself. He is very good at his job, he is very methodical, he is also a very knowledgeable person, he has a lot of Roy’s traits, you can see the influence Roy and Hayley had on him even in that short time he was with them. Even down to his clothes, they are functional and practical they are not worn for any other reason.

What is his relationship with Roy like this time around?

Roy is a little suspicious of his motives initially but Wayne makes it very clear that coming to see him has nothing to do with his investigations. He tells Roy that he separates his work and his personal relationships. He offers to help Roy research his mum’s ring and there are some lovely comedy scenes with Roy, Wayne and Brian, it is nice to see the two different sides of Wayne.

How does the fact that Wayne is investigating Carla affect Roy and Wayne’s relationship?

Wayne knows that Carla is Roy’s lodger but at first he doesn’t know their history and how close they are. It is certainly something that could be a bit of a conflict of interest for Wayne especially as he is someone who prides himself in doing his job well, he won’t let his relationship with Roy get in the way of that even if it causes them problems.

How do the other residents feel about Wayne?

It’s really interesting because he is the person that could unlock so many secrets. Some people are keen to have him around because they want answers, others are suspicious of him and are scared he might expose them.

What is it like playing a character that has been in the show before?

It is great to have a point of reference, I made sure I researched his back story, I remember watching it but I wanted to remind myself. He has so many scars from his childhood so it gives me a lot to draw upon.

Do you watch the show?

I was brought up watching it so I do know the show well. I work in theatre a lot so haven’t watched it as much as an adult. I was going to start watching it again once I got the part but then I thought that it might be better not to, Wayne comes to the street as an outsider without any knowledge of the people other than Roy so I decided to keep it that way for me too.

What was it like growing up with the same name as a Corrie character?

As you can imagine I got lots of stick, people would constantly ask me where Ken and Deirdre were. So to now be in the show is great, the crew always call me by my full name which is amusing, I haven’t met Sam yet who plays Adam as he’s been on holiday so that might confuse a few people when he returns. My best friend was called Vinnie Jones and he was the one that ironically took me away from playing football and got me into acting when I was 14. Everyone thought it was funny that Adam Barlow and Vinnie Jones were best mates.

Also... did you know that Adam Barlow has appeared in Coronation Street before? Back in 2016 he had a one-off role, simply credited as "a man".

Want to know more about Wayne Hayes?

His storyline - from beginning to end and his relationship with Roy and Hayley is covered in detail in this lovely fan book. It comes with a foreword from Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper. All proceeds go to Pancreatic Cancer UK.