Who played Gary Mallett in Coronation Street and where is Ian Mercer now?

1 April 2022, 10:17

What happened to Gary Mallett in Coronation Street and why did Ian Mercer leave?

Coronation Street fans might remember Gary Mallett and his wife Judy lived in number nine in the late 1990s.

They moved to the Cobbles back in 1995 and Gary became the resident handyman, working as a window cleaner and a driver for Street Cars.

But what happened to Gary Mallett and where is Ian Mercer now?

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Who played Gary Mallett in Coronation Street?

Ian Mercer, 60, played Gary Mallett in Coronation Street from 1995 to 2000, having previously appeared in 1987 as a different character.

Some of his biggest storylines included struggling to conceive with his wife, with the pair even agreeing to buy Zoe Tattersall's daughter Shannon.

The pair eventually welcomed twins Billy and Becky on Christmas Day 1998.

Sadly, in 1999, Gary lost his wife to an embolism but he decided to stick around in Weatherfield to bring up his family.

What happened to Gary Mallett in Corrie?

In July 2000 while on a holiday in Blackpool, Gary met Paula Shipley when he saved her son Warren from drowning in the sea.

The pair then started a relationship and in October of the same year Gary decided to leave Weatherfield behind for a new life in Blackpool with Paula and Warren.

Where is Ian Mercer now?

After starring in Corrie, Ian went on to have roles in Shackleton, Heartbeat, The Monocled Mutineer, A Touch of Frost, Cracker, Common As Muck, Peak Practice, New Tricks and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

In 2007, he studied at Northumbria University, gaining a degree in English and Art History.

Two years later he appeared in an episode of Doctors and two episodes of Waking the Dead, as well as starring as Blackbeard's chief zombie henchman in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

During August and September 2015 he returned to Doctors and more recently in 2018, Ian starred in the Mike Leigh film, Peterloo.

In 2011, the star was convicted of benefit fraud, having falsely claimed £2,300 in council tax benefit and was fined £165.

He now lives in Northumberland with his two daughters, Scarlett Rae, 24, and Carmine Mae, 22.