Coronation Street viewers up and down the country were heartbroken when Ben Price, AKA Nick Tilsley, announced he was quitting the show back in January 2017. After breaking things off with his ex-wife Leanne Battersby for what felt like the hundredth time, his final scenes aired last June.
Although it was sad to see him go, Ben, who has played Nick on Corrie since 2009, revealed in an interview on This Morning in February last year that he was leaving to spend more time with his family, who lived 200 miles away, adding that he was only seeing them for a day or so.
Check out which soap stars have dated in real life...
Soap stars who've dated in real life - DON'T USE
1 of 25Daisy Wood-Davis and Luke Jerdy
Hollyoaks stars Daisy Wood-Davis (Kim Butterfield) and Luke Jerdy (Jesse Donovan) have been posting a lot of loved up snaps together lately. Status: Dating
2 of 25Sally Carman and Joe Duttine
Coronation Street stars Sally Carman and Joe Duttine are reportedly dating after a string of 'secret dates'. After attending Corrie's summer party together in July, reports suggest the couple are very happy together. Status: Dating
3 of 25Nadine Mulkerrin and Rory Douglas Speed
Hollyoaks actors Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen) and Rory Douglas Speed (Joel Dexter) took their on-screen romance into real life!Rory popped the question to Nadine in December 2018 - during a trip to Amsterdam! Status: Engaged
4 of 25Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Married.
5 of 25Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis
Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis - The Hollyoaks actors dated in 2014. Status: Split.
6 of 25James Sutton and Sammy Winward
James Sutton and Sammy Winward - The Emmerdale co-stars had a brief romance in 2010. Status: Split.
7 of 25Peter Amory and Claire King
Peter Amory and Claire King - The Emmerdale actors were married for 10 years. Status: Divorced.
8 of 25Jennifer James and Lee Boardman
Jennifer James and Lee Boardman - These Coronation Street co-stars married in 2001. Status: Married.
9 of 25Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop - These Emmerdale co-stars recently married in Cornwall. Status: Married.
10 of 25Samantha Giles and Peter Amory
Samantha Giles and Peter Amory - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Split.
11 of 25Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas
Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas - The Coronation Street couple a child together in 2008. Status: Split.
12 of 25Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham - The Hollyoaks co-stars are reportedly dating. Status: Together.
13 of 25Nicole Barber - Lane and Liam Fox
This Hollyoaks couple were married for 16 years. Status: Separated.
14 of 25Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan - The Neighbours co-stars split in 1989. Status: Split.
15 of 25Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry
The Emmerdale couple and college sweetheart married in 2003. Status: Married.
16 of 25Alan Halsall and Lucy Jo Hudson
Alan Halsall and Lucy Jo Hudson - The pair married in 2009, but new reports suggest they have now split. Status: Split
17 of 25Emmett J. Scanlan and Claire Cooper
Emmett J. Scanlan and Claire Cooper - These Hollyoaks co-stars tied the knot in January. Status: Married.
18 of 25Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman
Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman - The EastEnders stars dated for three years. Status: Split.
19 of 25Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall - The Hollyoaks actors previously dated. Status: Split.
20 of 25Anna Passey and Nick Rhys
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys - It's thought these two Hollyoaks stars have been together for over a year. Status: Together.
21 of 25Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan - These Casualty co-stars dated for several years. Status: Split.
22 of 25Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan
Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together.
23 of 25Chris Milligan and Jenna Rosenow
Chris Milligan and Jenna Rosenow - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together.
24 of 25Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard
Corrie actors Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard were dating until they ended their romance in July 2017. Status: Split
25 of 25Sophie Porley and Adam Woodward
Hollyoaks actors Sophie Porley (Ellie Nightingale) and Adam Woodward (Brody Hudson) are now dating. Status: Together
However, back in April of this year, it was announced that Ben was returning to the cast, after a source told The Sun of his return.
They said: "Exactly how Nick will be brought back into the fray is still to be decided. But the Platts, and in particular Nick, are a massive part of the Corrie family and always at the heart of some of the show’s biggest storylines.
"Producers are currently coming up with a bombshell way for him to come back to Weatherfield."
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And it sounds as though they've done just that as it's now being reported that Ben will return to our screens as Nick Tilsley in the autumn, with his scenes airing this October.
A source told The Sun Online that the cast couldn't wait to have Ben back on the show, saying: "He was definitely missed during his break but he's back now and it's like he's never been away."
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