Coronation Street bullying twist for George and newcomer Frank

Coronation Street has confirmed the details of how newcomer Frank Bardsley knows George Shuttleworth.

Former Brookside star Simon O'Brien has recently made his first appearance as Frank, who's a new love interest for Sean Tully.

When Digital Spy exclusively revealed Frank's arrival earlier this month, we also shared that he has a mysterious pre-existing connection with George.

In next week's episodes, Sean enjoys spending time with Frank and happily introduces him to George at the Rovers Return.

sean tully, frank, george shuttleworth, coronation street

ITV

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George immediately becomes flustered, recognising Frank as someone who bullied him at school.

When George confides in his partner Eileen Grimshaw about this, she encourages Frank to make an apology. Frank dutifully goes ahead and says sorry to George for any upset that he caused in the past.

Frank also insists that George and Eileen should join him and Sean for dinner to properly bury the hatchet, but has he genuinely changed from the nasty guy he was all those years ago?

george shuttleworth, frank, coronation street

ITV

In a new interview, Simon told Digital Spy and other media: "Frank is pleased to see George when they see each other at The Rovers, but George certainly does not reciprocate that.

"George has to really cover up the fact that just the very sight of Frank puts him in a very bad place. It makes him very anxious.

"George, being the mild mannered character he is, was the butt of jokes at school. As it turns out, Frank may have been one of the ringleaders."

frank, george shuttleworth, coronation street

ITV

He continued: "George confides in Eileen that he has these suspicions that Frank is not what he appears. George remembers from very, very bitter experience that Frank can be a very nasty piece of work.

"But no-one really takes this on board. Frank himself, when he's confronted with this accusation, is utterly aghast because he just simply does not see himself as the person that George remembers.

"You get these characters in school, who will come to you in later years with a big smiley 'Hello' and you're thinking: 'Don't, you made my life a misery'. But they're utterly, utterly unaware. That's certainly the case with Frank – he just does not get the fact that he has traumatised George."

Coronation Street airs at the earlier time of 7.30pm all this week on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.