[Scarlett.]

Former Corrie star Charlie Lawson is returning to the ITV soap to reprise his role as bad boy Jim McDonald.

Irish Jim – known for his catchphrase “So It Is” - was a regular character for a period of eleven years from 1989 until 2000, before sporadic appearances over the last decade.

Now the 54-year-old actor has been drafted in at at time when there is a shortage of well known male characters on screen with the absence of Michael Le Vell and Bill Roach.

A show source said: “Charlie was delighted to get the call to return to the soap. He still has lots of friends on the Street and will be back in June to film initially for around three months.

"If things go well he will be there until the end of the year and it could lead to more work.

“The character Jim is still very much in prison so the storyline won’t see him back on the Street itself, but that could happen in years to come.”

Charlie’s on-screen persona is set to cause havoc when he returns to screens in July.

He is married to Liz McDonald, played by Beverley Callard, and sparks will fly with the new Rovers landlady.

Charlie was last seen in the soap in 2011 and currently runs a farm shop in Prestbury with his long term partner Debbie Stanley.

Before meeting her he had a troubled second marriage and in 2001, he had to declare himself bankrupt owing nearly £200,000 to the Inland Revenue, two banks and two credit card companies.

Ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary, he had hinted he may be killed in the tram crash, saying in 2010: “I suspect I’ve been in the frame for it. If my character gets killed I would be sad, but really I would be waiting for my next job.”

He joined in 1989 with wife Liz and 15-year-old twin sons Steven and Matthew.

He seemed cool and calm but initially hid a temper which flared up violently when his family or pride were hurt.

He and Liz have always had a stormy relationship and Jim got violent and his paranoid over Liz’s affairs which drove them apart.

Their first marriage ended in 1996 after Jim hit Liz when she confessed to a fling with his colleague Johnny Johnson years earlier.

They re-married in 2000 prior to Jim being sentenced of the manslaughter of drug dealer Jez Quigley, who had beaten up Steve.

But they split again in 2005 when Liz had enough of waiting for Jim.

He was released from Highmoor Prison in 2007 and remained a free man until 2011, when he was given a seven-year sentence for trying to rob a Building Society to give Liz enough money to buy the Rovers Return.

A spokesman for the soap confirmed Jim McDonald would be back in the soap but declined to comment further.

The Mirror

[Smithy]

I hate that they keep bringing him back for 2/3 months at a time

i hope they kill him off soon

[reece(:]

Such a messy character

cackled at his armed robbery attempt tho

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

I hate that they keep bringing him back for 2/3 months at a time

i hope they kill him off soon

I dont mind it, he'd never work as a full time character again, but having him return every now and again is good

[Saph]

thought this said Jane McDonald

[Samm]

Urge they bring him back every year so Liz can have some air time

Can't they bring back someone like Karen, Karen vs Tracy Part 2

[Marsh.]

How boring.

What crime will see him carted off in a police car this time?

He's been let out after holding a bank up with a shotgun?

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

How boring.

What crime will see him carted off in a police car this time?

He's been let out after holding a bank up with a shotgun?

He's still in prison

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Chewy

He's still in prison

So how's he returning?

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

So how's he returning?

Think he's just going to be appearing in prison.

[waterhog]

so he is so he is.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by reece(:

Think he's just going to be appearing in prison.

Yeah, like he did during the 2000s, before his 2007 release.

We're excited to announce that Charlie Lawson will be returning to the show as the formidable Jim McDonald, so he is...

Full storyline details are top secret, but we can exclusively reveal that Jim will still be serving time for armed robbery and that we're set to see more of his life behind bars.

How Jim's return will affect son Steve and ex-wife Liz is still under wraps, but it's safe to say that whenever Jim's around things tend to get a lot more complicated for the McDonalds.

Charlie will begin filming in June and will return to screens later this year.


ITV

[flamingGalah!]

I love Jim McDonald

[waterhog]

i wounder is jim related to fred elliot - i said i wounder if fred is related to jim.

[Gstar]

tldr, I can't even remember who he is