This much-loved Corrie star is rumoured to be returning to the cobbles next year

And we're so glad to hear it.

One of the most loved Coronation Street characters is said to be returning to the show next year. Yes, Norris Cole (played by Malcolm Hebden) is reportedly making his big return to the cobbles next year after nearly a year away. Actor Malcolm Hebden suffered a heart attack last year which resulted in him being placed in an induced coma for three weeks. However, according to reports, Malcolm's recovery is going well and he spoke with showrunners recently about how he and his character would return to the show.

“I was so pleasantly surprised to see him,” a cast member on the soap told The Mirror. “It has been a long battle back to fitness but he looks better than I could have imagined. “It is going to be great to have him back. "The show has missed him. We’ve missed him.”

It might not come as a huge surprise to those who saw co-star Patti Clare (who plays Mary Taylor on the soap) appear on This Morning earlier this month. Speaking of a potential return, Patti said there had been a ‘faint whisper’ that Norris would be coming home from Peru.

“[Norris] is in Peru at the moment, Mary speaks to him on the phone often, so there’s a faint sort of whisper that he might be back, maybe next year?”

Malcolm has played shopkeeper Norris since 1994 and has been missed by fans of the soap in the near-12 months since he’s been away.