Coronation Street is currently being plagued by the cold-blooded serial murderer Pat Phelan, but — for a certain generation of viewers — the soap's all-time most hated killer will always be Richard Hillman.
Gail Platt's (Helen Worth) evil ex-husband stacked up a huge body count — including Maxine Peacock and his ex Patricia Hillman — during his reign of terror on the ITV soap from 2001 to 2003, all because of his obsession with Gail.
When Richard (Brian Capron) drowned in a canal 15 years ago, it seemed like the Platt family would finally be free of him once and for all. Not so, apparently.
Richard will begin tormenting Gail from beyond the grave in an upcoming storyline when she makes the grim mistake of visiting a clairvoyant called Rosemary, who will be played by Harry Potter's Sophie Thompson.
Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) will actually be responsible for bringing in Gail for a reading with Rosemary, when the medium convinces Audrey that she's receiving messages from her late husband Alf.
Sophie Thompson
© JAMES SHAW/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
But it's Gail's ex-husbands who apparently have the strongest messages coming from 'the other side' as Gail and Rosemary finally meet.
Brian Capron won't actually be back on screen for these scenes, but the spectre of Richard wants to deliver a spine-tingling warning for his former wife through Rosemary.
But is this a genuine haunting, or is Sophie Thompson's medium playing some kind of sick game with Gail? Digital Spy has reached out to representatives from Corrie for more information.
"Sophie is a superb actress and perfect for the role of Rosemary, we are excited she is joining the cast and working alongside Helen and Sue," a Corrie spokesperson teased.
"Gail and Audrey are convinced she is getting messages from Alf and Gail's husbands. It remains to be seen if she is all she claims to be."
Corrie previously resurrected Richard Hillman back in 2014 as part of a Halloween-themed addition to the show's set tours. Gail was also plagued by letters "from Richard" a few years back on the show, only for David to be revealed as the true culprit.
The potential return of the Platt family's greatest foe will come during a rocky time for the clan. Viewers have already seen Bethany Platt turn to lap-dancing after being victimised in a child grooming ring last year.
Brian Capron on Loose Women
© KEN MCKAY/ITV/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
David Platt also has dark times ahead when he becomes the victim of a brutal rape that brings his father Martin (Sean Wilson) back to the cobbles for the first time in 15 years.
Digital Spy