Coronation Street newcomer Jack Carroll has revealed how he landed his role on the ITV soap.
The comedian, 25, is playing the son of Carla Connor’s brother Rob Donovan, called Bobby, on the Cobbles.
Jack was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 16 months old – the result of brain damage that happened either during or shortly after his birth, causing spastic diplegia, a disability affecting both of his legs.
Speaking on This Morning with hosts Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson on Thursday morning, Jack revealed how he claimed the coveted role and how the soap portrays the condition.
Jack said that Corrie was something he had wanted to do for a long time – and he was helped by having a ‘couple of friends’ on the writing staff.
Coronation Street newcomer Jack Carroll has revealed how he landed his role on the ITV soap
The comedian, 25, is playing the son of Carla Connor’s brother Rob Donovan, called Bobby, on the Cobbles
As the team already knew him well, they were able to create a character that was very personalised to him as they were already familiar with his sense of humour.
He went on to discuss how cerebral palsy has been portrayed on the Cobbles and the ‘smart’ way the producers have explored it.
He said: ‘I think the way they’ve gone about doing it and portraying disabilities they’ve done it in a really smart way.
‘It’s a facet of the character and there’s lots of other stuff going on. It shows him as a human being too which is really important to do.’
Joining Corrie was a very surreal experience for Jack, who described starting as ‘quite daunting’ and said he has ‘big blockbuster’ storylines coming up.
He continued: ‘It’s bizarre! Walking past all these sets. It’s very very bizarre but I hope that never leaves me.
‘It’s a huge privilege and I’m lucky to be able to add it to the CV.’
Cerebral palsy is a life-long condition that occurs when a baby’s brain is starved of oxygen during or shortly after birth.
Jack also shared the ‘smart’ way producers have explored cerebral palsy on the soap
The new character was described as ‘a livewire chip off the old block, with the gift of the gab and an eye for the ladies’
In most cases, this is due to a difficult labour, but it can occur as a result of an infection of the brain or head injury.
Those with the condition may experience difficulties with movement and co-ordination, as well as loss of speech, hearing and vision and spinal deformities, and may need lifelong care.
Disability charity Scope says an estimated 1,800 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the UK every year.
In 2020-2021, 281 cases of preventable cerebral palsy were reported – the highest number since 2010 and a fifth of the ten-year total.
In October last year it was revealed that Jack would be joining the cast of Coronation Street in the new year.
According to Corrie boss Iain MacLeod, the new character will be at the core of some drama-packed scenes in Corrie after showing up out of the blue.
Bobby’s father Rob is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of popular resident Tina McIntyre.
The new character was described as ‘a livewire chip off the old block, with the gift of the gab and an eye for the ladies.’
The BGT star shot to fame when he made his debut on the seventh series of the ITV show with his iconic comedy routine
At the age of 14, Jack came runner-up on Britain’s Got Talent in 2013 to shadow theatre group Attraction.
The standup comedian, who has also made an appearance on Saturday Night at the London Palladium, was a hit among the judges and viewers.
Jack has also made an appearance on Jason Manford’s Funny Old Week and Live At the Apollo as well as completing his first national live tour.
His acting career kicked off shortly after his BGT stint as he has starred in the likes of the Ministry of Curious Stuff on CBBC, Trollied, Doctors and the role of Pete in the feature film Eaten By Lions.
Most recently he has written and starred in his own comedy short Mobility.
Given his difficult arrival in the world, his achievements are all the more impressive.
Jack was born 11 weeks premature in October 1998, weighing just 3lb 4oz.
His twin brother, Ben, sadly died at just one day old. Jack fought on, spending his first two months in an incubator.
While his agile mind was evident from the start – he said his first word, ‘cheeky’, at just a few months old – his physical development was delayed.