As Coronation Street ’s resident villain Stephen Reid comes face to face with the ghost of his past this week, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the serial killer as he attends a memorial service for his former business associate Rufus Donahue.
Playing innocent, Stephen smoothly pretends he is deeply troubled by the loss of his former colleague, even as Rufus’ son Jools quizzes him on how he knew his dad.
Yet unbeknown to Rufus’ loved ones, Stephen was actually the culprit behind his death, something which so far both the coroner and police have failed to realise.
The game may well soon be up for the killer however, when Eleanor, Rufus’ widow produces a bag full of Rufus’ belongings that the police found – something that crucially contains a tie pin that previously belonged to Stephen himself!
Rufus’ wife continues to fight for answers surrounding her husband’s death this week
Adamant that the item did not belong to her husband, Eleanor reveals that she’s going to take the tie pin to the police as it may provide a vital clue to her husband’s death – a development which soon leaves Stephen sweating as he fears being caught for his crimes.
But who exactly was Rufus and why did Stephen kill him?
Rufus was first introduced as a businessman in March 2023
(Image: ITV)
Rufus Donahue was first introduced in March 2023 as a potential business associate of Underworld, but after discovering that Stephen Reid had been drugging Carla Connor to take control of the company, he set about blackmailing the acting boss, Stephen in return for a pricey sum.
Initially, Stephen refused, prompting Rufus to threaten Stephen that he would go to the police and rumble his use of illicit drugs as well as having drugged Carla to make her think she was suffering from another mental health relapse.
Backed into a corner, Stephen sabotaged an existing lucrative deal in order to agree to go into business with Rufus, a development which even allowed the scheming businessman to believe he had won and had the upper hand.
However things soon turned sour when Rufus tried to blackmail Stephen
However, in a crucial development Stephen later visited Rufus at home where he masqueraded as a gracious loser and accepted that Rufus was now the one in charge.
Yet as the pair shared a conciliatory drink together, Stephen discreetly laced Rufus’ drink with drugs and when his companion was too intoxicated to walk in a straight line, Stephen callously pushed him into a swimming pool and watched patiently as he waited for him to drown.
Following his death, the coroner ruled Rufus’ tragic demise as death by misadventure, but his wife Eleanor refused to believe this, and has been trying to stage an investigation into what really happened to her husband.
Why is Rufus so familiar?
Coronation Street is far from the only place fans will recognise actor Steve Meo however
When Rufus was first introduced to the soap, many fans couldn’t help but recognise Steve Meo, the actor that played him – but most couldn’t place where exactly they knew him from.
Using a gruff London accent for his role in Corrie, Steve was a far cry from his comedic roots in Welsh drama Gavin and Stacey, where he played Owain Hughes, a work colleague of Gavin’s.
The character was part of an ongoing in-joke, in which Gavin first met Owain, who introduced himself as “Owain Hughes” before adding: “And before you ask, no I don’t”.
While the joke undoubtedly baffled many corners of the internet, it was actually simply a play on words for the pronunciation of his name, “Owe Wayne Hughes”.
Steve also appeared in BBC comedy Grownups for 3 years, and even appeared in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps alongside Sheridan Smith and Will Mellor.
Despite a lengthy career, Coronation Street is Steve’s first soap role
As well as his comedy roles, Steve also once starred in a Direct Line ad campaign opposite Harvey Keitel, and has numerous other small parts in everything from Doctor Who to Holby City over the years.
Interestingly, for his role in Coronation Street, his real life wife Eleanor Howell is playing his on screen widow, Lou!
The pair first got engaged in 2010, when Steve was starring in Broadway play Pieces, before finally tying the knot in 2012 with a beautiful ceremony in Tetbury.
Together the pair have two sons.
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