Harvey Gaskell

Harvey Gaskell

Harvey Gaskell, played by Will Mellor, made his first appearance on 12 March 2021. Harvey is the drug lord boss of Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) and Jacob Hay (Jack James Ryan). The character and Mellor's casting was announced on 9 February 2021, where it was stated that his character will "pile on the pressure" for Simon, and that when Simon and adoptive mother Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) tries to free himself from the drug business, Harvey "no intention of letting them out of his grasp." On joining the soap, he commented: "I'm honoured to be asked to come into Coronation Street, it's such an iconic show and has been a huge part of my family life." He recalled that when he began acting, it was his mother's dream for him to join the soap, so he was happy to "finally be able to make it come true." He described the soap as a "Manchester institution," and that he was pleased to have finally appeared in the series. Talking about the character, Mellor stated that Harvey is the first "out-and-out baddie" he has played in his career, which made him excited to portray the role, adding that Harvey will "make some waves" in Weatherfield.