Imran would support Rana if her affair is revealed, says new Coronation Street star Charlie de Melo
"As you'll see, Imran has first-hand experience of being in a marriage that isn't working"
Actor Charlie de Melo has revealed that his Coronation Street character Imran Habeeb would be a source of support for his sister Rana should he discover all about her affair with Kate.
"He'd be an ally," the Corrie newcomer told RadioTimes.com. "As you'll see, Imran has first-hand experience of being in a marriage that isn't working. And he has that same fear of being a disappointment to the family. There are lots of parallels in their personal lives."
Legal eagle Imran will be seen turning up on Rana's doorstep tonight following the break-up of his marriage and will soon be clashing with the Street's resident solicitor Adam Barlow.
"When it comes to the law, Imran is more of a big shot. Adam works in this grotty old office that looks like it comes straight out of the 1970s. Imran's more used to dealing with high-profile cases. So there are a lot of side-eye swipes where Adam's concerned!"
Soap fans may recognise de Melo from his appearances earlier this year on rival soap EastEnders, where he played PC Jaz Jones, who went up against the Taylor clan following their arrival in Walford:
More like this
"A lot of my scenes were filmed with Lorraine Stanley, who I admire hugely. They were nice enough to invite me back a few times and I think the idea was to have me back every so often whenever the Taylors kicked off.
"But those plans got scuppered because I got offered a play that ended up overlapping with EastEnders."
EastEnders's loss turned out to be Corrie's gain and also gave the actor the chance to share scenes with Nicola Thorp (the Street's Nicola Rubinstein), who de Melo has known for a decade:
"I'd be happy to work with anyone at Corrie because everyone's work is top notch. But I've been friends with Nicola for 10 years and I've never had the opportunity to work with someone who I've had a pre-existing with."
And with Imran set to become the go-to guy for courtroom drama, de Melo would also be happy to take on the task of defending Anna Windass - though he wouldn't fancy his chances against the villainous Pat Phelan.
"Would Imran be able to get Anna off? Don't get me wrong, he's brilliant at his job but Phelan is able to bend the rules in a way he wouldn't be able to.
"I would like to think that Imran's good heart and skill might be able to help Anna out. But evil may triumph - you'd be a foolish man to bet against Pat Phelan!"
You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's drama on Coronation Street below
And visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
