Evil ways are a tweet success

CONNOR McINTYRE has been absolutely chilling as Corrie baddie Pat Phelan.

So much so that he walked off with the Villain of the Year at last month’s British Soap Awards.

But Connor admits there’s a price to pay for his bad behaviour on screen.

Viewers have been booing him in the street for the various nasty schemes Pat’s been behind.

“People are engaged,” admits Liverpool-born Connor. “Woe betide you if you go near their favourite characters with bad intentions like Phelan does.

“They don’t like it. I’m getting the hate mail but there’s a bit of love there too. Generally it’s restricted to the character and it’s not personal.”

Connor’s active on Twitter and he says he’s been really impressed by the fact that fans have taken the time to come up with poems and artworks about Phelan.

“They are very creative, the fans out there,” he says.

“Someone tweeted recently that their greataunt had asked them to write to Coronation Street suggesting that Pat Phelan be poisoned!

“That whole image is lovely – it’s a credit to the writers they have created a villain like this.”

Phelan features prominently this week as he helps out Jason over the murder weapon.

But Connor’s not keen on his alter ego getting away with his sheer nastiness.

“I’m not a fan of Pat Phelan – he reminds me of some duplicitous, Machiavellian politicians and world leaders,” laughs Connor.

“He will tumble – the bad guys can’t win. And we can’t let them win in real life too.

“There’s still some interesting questions about Pat Phelan – where he’s come from, what’s made him the way he is? – to be answered.”

Coronation Street, ITV, various times and days.