It’s been over a decade since this Coronation Street performer’s on-screen departure. He stunned viewers with his character‘s tragic demise via a watery grave. And now, in a turn few predicted, he‘s returned to the Street—but not in front of the lens this time.
From On-Screen Drama to Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance
Reece Dinsdale, formerly Joe McIntyre—Gail Platt‘s hapless fourth husband—has made a formal return to Corrie, almost 15 years on from the death of his character while attempting to stage his own death to secure an insurance payout. But he isn‘t here to resurrect Joe from the afterlife. No, Reece is stepping behind the director‘s desk.
Having last appeared on the show in 2010, Reece landed prominent roles such as Paul Ashdale in Emmerdale, where he worked between 2020 and 2021. He‘s now returned to the world of soaps, directing four new Coronation Street episodes.
Reece recently posted on BlueSky that he had had a great time directing the episodes and hoped that fans enjoyed watching them. He said the episodes were due to air on Monday and Friday, and concluded by saying he hoped that the viewers enjoyed viewing them as much as he enjoyed creating them.
However, schedule adjustments subsequently moved the episodes back to Thursday to accommodate ITV‘s live broadcast of the UEFA Women‘s Nations League match between Belgium and England.
Coronation Street: Defending His Craft and Taking Time for Life
Directing Coronation Street is nothing new to Reece—he has already directed eight episodes since 2022. He‘s also established a presence behind the camera on Emmerdale, directing 42 episodes since 2020. His filmography goes longer, too, with credits listed on Pitching In, Moving On, and Secrets and Words.
Reece’s return to directing follows a period of temporary lull. Earlier this year, in 2024, he revealed he was taking time off work for a while after the passing of his mum and a house move. Discussing this with his fans, he revealed that at 64 years of age, he‘d decided to have a break for the first time in his working life. He admitted to having upcoming projects in the pipeline, which made the time off more relaxing, and stated he was really enjoying his break.
Soon after, he was defending his career on social media. Following Reece publicly criticising Nigel Farage during the 2024 election campaign, a user on X (formerly Twitter) taunted him, saying his career had “gone down the toilet” and that he was “bitter and twisted.”
Reece replied firmly that he was then in rehearsal for a leading stage role at Chichester and would be back to direct two of the nation’s most viewed dramas shortly, with work scheduled until next April. He concluded his response with a wry comment, adding, “As toilets go, this is a particularly fragrant one.”
Although he might not return to our screens as Joe McIntyre, Reece Dinsdale‘s return to the show has a big impact. We will keep you posted on all the updates of Coronation Street. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more soap updates.