Coronation Street confirms exit for Spider Nugent as actor Martin Hancock already plots comeback for Toyah ‘wedding’
It comes after there were dramatic scenes at the start of the week in the ITV soap for the character and Toyah Habeeb
Coronation Street fans are set to wave goodbye to Spider Nugent once more as his rekindled relationship with Toyah Habeeb comes to an end. There were dramatic scenes at the start of the week in the ITV soap as the former eco-warrior-turned-undercover cop came to his new fiancee’s rescue.
Toyah was kidnapped by Maggie, a woman with a grievance against Spider after she pretended to be Spider’s wife in order to get herself in the flat where Toyah is living with sister Leanne Battersby, her partner Nick Tilsely and his son, Sam.
It soon transpired that Maggie wanted Spider to pay after her husband was “busted” by the undercover policeman for selling drugs but was later murdered after Spider convinced him to give a statement on his fellow criminals in order to get a lenient sentence.
Spider received a text from Maggie detailing a location at some waste ground, and raced there to find Maggie was armed with a gun. Maggie told Spider that she wanted him “to know what it is like to have the person you love most in the world go missing”, and the dramatic scenes culminated in both Spider and Toyah on their knees.
Spider told Maggie her husband was a “scumbag heroin dealer”, and ordered Toyah to run, at which point a shot rang out. Toyah turned to see Spider lying apparently fatally injured on the ground. But, after a further exchange with Maggie that left her on the ground instead, Spider leapt up to show he’d been wearing a police-issue bulletproof vest and radioed for backup.
By the end of the episode, Spider was seen reaffirming his commitment to his job as an undercover policeman after Toyah gave him an ultimatum – to be with and marry her or go off and continue to work as an undercover cop.
And with Martin Hancock’s exit from the cobbles confirmed, it’s clear what choice Spider makes. Speaking about the end of Spider and Toyah, the actor told the Manchester Evening News and other press when asked what’s gone wrong between the pair: “Life’s gone wrong between them. It’s just bad luck and circumstance.
“What’s been happening previously in Spider’s life and what’s been happening previously in Toyah’s life have conspired to do them down at the end and it’s sad. They’re both very committed people but, for now, it’s not workable.”
But he does say he doesn’t think it’s really the end – despite it being ‘desperately sad’. He told us: “I don’t think it’s the end. i don’t think it’s the end of the story. These two will always have a bit of love there… I think he’ll be desperately sad about the way things have ended.
“At the end of the day, whatever version of Spider we’re talking about, Spider loves Toyah and so he’s bound to feel sad. They’re both going to feel sad. There’s something between those two… it’s a 25 year relationship, of course they’re going to feel gutted they couldn’t make it work this time.”
He added: “I’d like to think he’s leaving with unfinished business. From acting with people I think yeah, not immediately but I think there is some unfinished business. I’ll say no more.”
And there was no hesitation from Martin when asked if he’d be open to returning in the future. “Yes,” he quickly responded. Laughing he added: “That’s how long it took for me to decide that one. I said it the first time around, the second time around, the third time around and this is the fourth time around, yeah of course. I love the show.”
And if he were to return, Martin says it’d be ‘nice’ for it to be for a Spider and Toyah wedding. “That’d be nice in the future,” he said before suggesting what else Spider could get up to if he came back. “Maybe he’ll open an upcycling shop or something like that where he refurbs/recycles things. Something along those lines,” he said.
