Rick Neelan Corrie
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Former Coronation Street villain Greg Wood looks unrecognisable after leaving the soap

He played loan shark Rick Neelan

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Former Coronation Street star Greg Wood looks totally unrecognisable after leaving the ITV soap in a dramatic plot last year.

Actor Greg, 40, played Rick Neelan on and off from 2009 until his brutal death in 2019.

Rick made Gary’s life hell (Credit: ITV)

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Viewers know that Rick was a loan shark who terrorised many Weatherfield residents, and was unscrupulous in his methods – charging his debtors extra money on a whim and threatening physical violence if they didn’t pay up!

Pottering around… Get it… Get it?? #loveadadjoke.

He first appeared in 2009, making Joe McIntyre’s life a misery and making threats against his daughter Tina.

Later, in 2012, Terry Duckworth was the one who owed Rick money.

Coronation Street Gary kills Rick
Gary put an end to Rick’s bullying ways (Credit: ITV)

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Last year, Rick returned again after being released from prison, demanding £9,000 from Gary Windass.

When Rick forced Gary to work for him to pay off his debts, Gary eventually snapped and ended up killing Rick during a fight to the death in the woods.

Thus ending actor Greg’s stint as the bullying bad boy.

Either Gary or Rick was going to die (Credit: ITV)

Since leaving the soap, Greg has undergone a total transformation.

Sharing a photo on his official Instagram page, Greg joked around with his 2,384 followers making what he called “dad jokes”.

In the snap, Greg’s hair is much longer than that of his previous character, and is threaded with grey.

He’s also wearing a pair of spectacles similar to those of fictional wizard Harry Potter, and has grown a longer salt and pepper beard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5sjym4hMXp/

He wrote: “Pottering around… Get it… Get it?? #loveadadjoke.”

One follower said the look “suited him”.

Another said he looked just like his dad.

We think it’s fair to say he looks unrecognisable from his mean Corrie character.

Greg has also appeared in The A List, Casualty, Emmerdale and Brookside.

In Hollyoaks, he played bad-boy gangster Trevor Royle who was stabbed to death on his wedding day by evil teen Nico Blake in 2016.

He also played drug dealer Terry Gibson in Brookside.

In real life, actor Greg is the brother of Matt Milburn who plays footballer Tommy Orpington in ITV soap Corrie.

Matt will be returning to Weatherfield as Tommy next month.

Would you like to see actor Greg Wood in another role? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!


Helen Fear
TV Editor

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