ITV Coronation Street went to extraordinary lengths to keep return of major villain under wraps

Coronation Street fans are in for a shock this Christmas Eve as the notorious serial killer Richard Hillman, played by Brian Capron, makes an unexpected return to the soap. Despite his character's demise in 2003 after a failed murder attempt involving Gail and her family, viewers will be stunned to see him back on the cobbles.

In a dramatic twist, Gail, portrayed by Helen Worth, wakes to find someone rifling through her belongings and mistakes him for her fiancé Jessie, only to be met with a much more sinister figure. "Try again," he hints darkly, noting changes to the house: "I see you've changed the carpet in here."

The Sun reports that the sensational comeback was carefully orchestrated following Helen Worth's decision to leave the soap after five decades.

To maintain secrecy, the scenes were shot on a tightly closed set with minimal crew and Helen present. Brian even went to great lengths to conceal his identity, covering up with blankets and crouching in cars while leaving the set.

An insider disclosed: "It was a major need to know operation. Brian was sneaked on and off set in the back of a car under blankets to avoid being spotted. And his and Helen's scenes were filmed on a closed set with a tiny number of staff to shoot it. It's a real callback to what's undoubtedly Gail's biggest storyline from her time on the show and a celebration of it.", reports the Mirror.

Helen Worth, at 73, has been a mainstay on Coronation Street since she first emerged as Gail in 1974. Her character's imminent departure is slated to be part of a major plot twist for the Platt family.

Reflecting on her surprising exit, Helen recently mentioned: "This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world."

"I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out, and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew. The past 50 years have flown by and I don't think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet."