Chris Gascoyne now claims that after working on Coronation Street, he's developed some serious and crippling back problems.

The actor has now played Peter Barlow on the ITV soap for over 14 years and admits pretending to have the shakes because of his character's alcohol withdrawal symptoms has left him with back pain in real life.

Chris Gascoyne as Peter Barlow / Credit: ITV

Speaking to The Sun he explained: "It is hard work to be drunk and fighting and crying. I've had to see an osteopath for my back and neck because of all the tension and shaking ... Sweating and shaking and then saying your lines on top of all that turmoil, it is difficult and it's mentally exhausting too.

"I end up with a headache. I go home and really feel like I've gone through it."

Chris also admitted that the scenes he shot recently with Charles Lawson who plays Jim McDonald didn't help.

"And every time Jim McDonald gets a chance he throws me all around and he's a big fella.

"Sometimes he takes it a bit too seriously - it's physical!"

The star will be leaving the cobbles later this year at the end of his current storyline, but admits it's hard to leave the role behind.

"Playing Peter is like living another life because I'm playing him more than I am myself. I can separate the two, obviously, but it's always on my mind. I'm always working on him."

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