Coronation Street star’s children in bits as they watched their dad get shot dead
Parental guidance required!
What do Tristan Gemmill’s Coronation Street exit and the Grinch have in common?
They both almost ruined Christmas!
His character, Robert Preston, initially appeared all the way back in 1996 played by Julian Kay, having met future-femme fatale Tracy Barlow, then played by Dawn Acton, with the two having met in London.
They later married and moved away, and when Tracy came home, now played by Kate Ford and fully in her uber-bitch era, the two had broken up, with Robert having found Tracy in bed with his best friend.
When Robert returned in 2015, he was now played by Tristan, who remained in the role for four years, before suffering a festive death when he was shot and killed in 2019’s Christmas Day episode.
‘Being shot through the door of the Rovers was harsh, it was a hell of an exit,’ Tristan said.
‘We all watched it on Christmas Day with my kids. I thought ‘Oh, look, we’ve had Christmas lunch. Let’s sit down and watch Daddy’s episode of Coronation Street because it’s where he leaves the show.’ It was a big mistake! They got so upset and I spent hours calming them down!’
Yeah, perhaps watching your dad take a bullet before flatlining in hospital isn’t the best way to top off the most magical day of the year. Who would’ve thunk it?!
Tristan will be appearing in the stage play, Twelve Angry Men, which follows a jury as they deliberate the guilt of a boy on trial for murdering his father, alongside a few other soap veterans, namely Ben Nealon, Bill Ward, and Gray O’Brien, who played Alexander Harkinson in EastEnders, and Charlie Stubbs and Tony Gordon in Corrie, respectively.
While talking to The Mirror, Tristan said of the play: ‘We’re finding that the audiences are really engaged because Reginald Rose, the writer, has structured it in such a clever way where by at the beginning, you just see 12 blokes walk into a room.
‘You know that it’s a jury deliberating on a murder case, but you don’t know any more than that. And then as time goes on, you almost fill in the gaps backwards, so that eventually you know what everybody in the room knows, because they’ve sat in the court for three days and listened to the proceedings.
‘So, the way he drip-feeds the information is really clever.’
Who was Robert Preston in Coronation Street?
When Robert returned in the wake of Deirdre Barlow’s (Anne Kirkbride) death, he reunited with ex-wife Tracy, before working alongside Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) in the Bistro, having become a professional chef.
Tracy’s ever-toxic nature soon drove them apart, however, and after binning her off, he bought into the Bistro proper, while also forming a relationship with Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh).
In an issue-led plotline, Robert found himself diagnosed with testicular cancer, the same disease that had previously taken his dad’s life, and initially resisted treatment, only relenting with Michelle’s support.
After his cancer battle, Robert found himself addicted to performance-enhancing steroids, having been left with distorted body image and a desire to regain control of his body.
Robert and Michelle’s relationship collapsed when they clash over the decision to have a child; Robert was desperate to become a dad, while Michelle, after suffering a traumatic late miscarriage was unwilling to go through another pregnancy.
In their brief time apart, Robert met Vicky Jefferies (Kerri Quinn) who he got pregnant, before reuniting with Michelle and continuing to live a double life.
Having discovered the truth, Michelle humiliated Robert on their wedding day, vowing to take him for every penny he has.
Robert’s Christmas Day death came by the hand – or gun – of Derek Milligan (Craige Els), a businessman in debt to Gary Windass (Mikey North), in an accidental shooting.
