Fiercely private about his idyllic set-up with his wife and 10-year-old daughter, married life is pretty perfect for Coronation Street actor Gareth Pierce. Unlike the disastrous marriage between his character Todd Grimshaw and evil scaffolder Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) who subjected him to sustained coercive control and horrific domestic violence, they love their simple family life.Happily settled in Manchester with his wife of more than 20 years, Amy, and their little girl, Gareth, 45, says: “My job puts me in the public eye, but I very much try to keep my wife and daughter out of it. We love the beach, barbecuing, little hikes. I go to a lot of gigs and am into heavy metal and punk. At home, we curl up on the sofa and watch our favourite programmes together. My daughter's 10 now, so we love Gladiators, Traitors and Race Across the World.”His daughter, whose name he never reveals, is unfazed by her dad’s fame. Gareth says: “She hasn't really known any different. She was four when I joined Coronation Street. Like most kids, what their parents do isn't that interesting.‌“We will watch the Christmas episode together, though. What I love the most is that she gets to see that her dad has found a job where he can keep that imagination and that creative play that kids do so instinctively going into adult life. And it actually pays the bills.”Murdered in April, last week undertaker Todd’s best friend Sarah Platt revealed she killed his evil husband, Theo, by pushing him off scaffolding. While Todd agreed to keep her secret, he told Sarah - his fiancee before he came out as gay - he was banishing her from his life.At the centre of the year’s most dramatic Corrie storyline, Gareth says he has his teachers to thank for his success. Recreating Harry Enfield and Steve Coogan sketches for his school pals, Gareth - who moved around a lot because of his dad’s job in the Army, before the family settled in North Wales - was very much the class clown.‌The actor, who joined Corrie in 2020, says: “When I was about 12, a teacher said, ‘man, we should put this kid on stage’. And I suddenly had this forum for that bit of my personality.” Another teacher then encouraged him to think about drama school, leading Gareth to the National Youth Theatre in London.Cutting his teeth in Welsh drama Caerdydd, he landed the role of Gavin Moss on The Archers, before getting his big break on the cobbles. Gareth continues: “The education system gets a bit of a battering, doesn't it? It's such a shame. I think that everyone should always look at teachers as the champions of kids, because very often they're able to see abilities in a child that the child might not even have seen themselves.“Teachers are so precious. It is genuinely one of the most important professions in the world. It's always great when people in the public eye give credit to the people that first gave them a leg up.”‌As for his recent Corrie storyline and rumours that DI Swain will twig that Todd knows something, because of his calm demeanour when she apologises for the slow progress of Theo’s murder inquiry, Gareth jokes: “You know those Google searches, when you can see the crime rates in your area? Weatherfield would be off the charts.”Proud of Todd’s domestic abuse storyline, for which the soap's writers worked with LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity Galop, Gareth says: “When you get asked to play a storyline like that, there's a great sense of privilege to be trusted with it.“Coronation Street does very well representing a scenario like that which can actually be, sadly, many people's realities. There's a certain amount of pressure and expectation. I've been really heartened by the way that people have become so engaged with the story. When I'm out and about, people are genuinely concerned about me. They ask me how I’m doing, let alone Todd.”‌And viewers were willing Todd to see what Theo was really like. Gareth says: “There was a frustrating period for the audience, where they felt that they could see the red flags sooner than Todd. So, I was getting advice from strangers. They were saying, ‘go on, get out of there,’ and ‘That Theo's a wrong'un,’. I had to explain that I have to do what the writers tell me.”Of course, Theo had to get his comeuppance. Gareth says: “There is a strict moral compass to Coronation Street and a sense that justice has to be served eventually. Theo's day of judgment has been very much longed for. Karma has been served.”But Theo’s death has massively complicated Todd’s relationship with Sarah (Tina O’Brien). He says: “His best friend killed his husband. He's now got to navigate how that changes their relationship.” As for future romance for Todd, viewers will just have to wait and see. Gareth says: “A lot of people want to see a little bit of happiness in his life.”‌Softly spoken, compared to Todd, who is very direct, Gareth compares himself to his character. He says: “Todd speaks his mind. He has learned from the best. He's Eileen Grimshaw's son. He can be very blunt. It's always quite fun if you're playing a character that is able to be more direct than you probably would be in your polite, day-to-day life.”A longstanding ambassador for Age UK, Gareth is promoting the charity’s Act Now Age Better campaign, which encourages people to be active at any stage in life and to reap the benefits when they are older. Practicing what he preaches, Gareth is super fit, saying: “I run, cycle and swim, so I'm reasonably fit.”But, while he’s loving the twists and turns of his current murder storyline, he has set his sights on a more exotic location for his next whodunnit. He says: “I love Manchester, it’s incredibly vibrant, the people are amazing and have truly welcomed us with open arms. But it does rain quite a lot. I always enjoyed languages at school, and so I think that was my other path - taking languages at university and spending time in a slightly warmer country.”So, for his next murder plot, he is thinking of Death in Paradise, set in on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. He says: “I haven't done Death in Paradise, but my friends have. They take you out there for a lot longer than you're actually filming, so you get to explore Guadeloupe and go on boats and things. Then every now and again you have to go and do some work.”‌*Age UK’s Act Now, Age Better is encouraging people to get active, stay connected and enjoy the benefits of movement at any age. Find out more HERE