Coronation Street star’s honest four-word response as bosses begged him to return

Chris Harper admitted he started “shaking” after being asked to return to .

The actor, 47, made his first appearance as the evil Nathan Curtis in 2016 and went on to play a central role in a high profile teenage grooming and exploitation storyline involving Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon).

In 2017, Chris partnered with the , a UK charity that works to protect children and prevent abuse, and has maintained a strong relationship with the organisation ever since.

The former soap star is currently supporting the charity’s annual Number Day, which sees a number of primary schools across the country take part in a range of maths-related activities and games.

As part of Number Day 2025, Chris visited Dulwich Wood Primary School to host an assembly for the students to promote fun ways to engage with maths.

Chris’ relationship with the charity began shortly after he made his first appearance as Nathan and continued after he departed the soap in October 2017.

Nathan returned to the Cobbles in 2024 as part of the investigation surrounding Lauren Bolton’s (Cait Fitton) disappearance.

Recalling the moment he was asked to return, Chris exclusively said: “When I got asked to come back I was on my sofa. I remember exactly where I was and what day it was.

“When he said they were thinking about bringing Nathan back and if I was interested, I just started shaking. I got really emotional. I was absolutely shaking.”

He continued: “The adrenaline just went through me and I think the acting of it was hard, there were times where it was very nasty. But everyone understands that it’s a script.”

Chris worked closely with the NSPCC and other charities to bring Bethany’s story to life on the soap. Explaining the profound impact the charity has had on people, Chris said: “But the number of people that I’d met and the number of events I’d been to, the impact of the work I’d seen through the NSPCC, even just joining them in assemblies and seeing the effects.

“The whole mountain had dissolved during the previous year or two, but when Nathan came back on the horizon, it was a big moment for me.”

Chris revealed it was a no brainer to return, declaring: “It wasn’t a decision, I had to do it. I rang the charities I was involved with and they were all delighted that it was going to be continued.”

After leaving the soap, Chris continued his work with the NSPCC and children’s charity Bernardo’s. He also became an active patron of Voicing CSA, which helps adult survivors of child sexual abuse find their voice.

After being asked to return, the actor confessed he would only accept on the condition that the charities worked closely with the soap on the storyline once again.

He explained: “My first question was, ‘Have you got the charities on board?’ I don’t want it to be a redemption story for Nathan. He’s got to serve to provide Bethany’s journey. And that’s exactly what it was. So I got back in touch with Bernardos and the NSPCC and that conversation carried on.”

The NSPCC’s Number Day has been running since 1999, making it 25 years old today (February 7).

Speaking about the importance of Number Day, Chris said: “It’s raised millions for the NSPCC services and it’s not just for childline, it’s for all of their services.

“It’s also about supporting their Speak Out, Stay Safe campaign which is where people go into assemblies and speak to children about spotting the signs of neglect and abuse and what to do if it’s happening.”

He continued: “It’s a really empowering and brilliant thing that the NSPCC do at primary schools across the country. They’ve got something like 200,000 childline counselling sessions that are arranged each year.

“So the money that comes from this is really valuable. But also, Numbers Day itself is full of really fun activities.”

Chris added: “With all of the impactful messaging that comes from all the work the NSPCC do, actually this is much more about enjoying numbers. It’s great to be able to do this in a fun way.”