Some new details about Norris Cole’s return to Coronation Street have been revealed

As Coronation Street fans are aware, Norris Cole is coming back to the cobbles soon.

The beloved character, who has been played by Malcolm Hebden for almost 25 years on-and-off, will be back on our telly screens in April. And, from the sounds of things, he'll be coming back to Weatherfield with some pretty big news. When he does come back, the fan favourite character will reportedly announce he is engaged to Emily Bishop's niece, Freda. A source told The Sun:

"Norris's first scenes were never going to go under the radar. But no one thought he'd come back an engaged man. "He turns up with Freda and reveals they are getting married and want to buy a house together. She's been in the show before - Freda Burgess, the niece of Emily. "She and Norris have got closer while he has been staying with her and Emily in the time Malcolm needed off for his condition."

Actress Ali Briggs played Freda in Coronation Street from 2005-2006 and 2009-2010. Late last year, Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod revealed that Norris would be back "in a little sort of cameo return". Adding that there was the hope to "have him back permanently in the future, MacLeod told Digital Spy: 

"He's on that list of Emily Bishops of characters who are so Corrie that the show doesn't feel correct without them in there. Soap characters come and go – but I am reading bits in the scripts where I know Norris would have something to say.

"His return story is pleasantly silly and revisits his relationship with Mary in a meaningful way. I hope Malcolm likes it, he's not read the script yet."

Norris has been "in Scotland" for a little while, spending time with Emily Bishop - as well as some others - in Edinburgh. Hebden left the soap in 2017 after he had a heart attack and needed time to recover.