Coronation Street’s David Neilson turned away from set as Roy Cropper star not recognised

The iconic Coronation Street actor David Neilson, who is famed for playing the role of Roy Cropper, was turned away from the set when security did not recognise him.

Security guards at the Manchester set of the soap opera failed to recognise the 75-year-old actor when they didn’t let him onto the set to start his work day. In a video circulating social media, the actor can be seen pressing a buzzer and saying: “Roy Cropper. I’m on the show.”

Standing at some black gates on the site of the set, the Roy Cropper actor was then asked by a fan for his autograph, prompting David to say: “Why do you think I’m standing here signing these? Why do you think?” to the security guards who did not believe he was an actor on the soap.

Reacting on Instagram to The Sun’s exclusive video, one person said: “The security guard probably didn’t recognise him after he had a shave and a bath.” A second added: “He’s only doing his job, and how rude is Roy Cropper?”

A third penned: “Roy is raging!”. While a fourth chimed in: “He doesn’t seem to be as gentlemanly as Roy in real life.”

Roy made his debut on the cobbles back in 1995. He has starred in around 2,500 episodes. On the cobbles, David’s character, Roy, is a cafe owner of his own eatery, Roy’s Rolls.

But aside from his lengthy stint on the cobbles, David has starred in several other television shows. During his career, the Roy Cropper actor has starred in Z-Cars, Young at Heart, Survivors, Sons and Lovers, Blue Heaven, Bergerac, Casualty, Boys from the Blackstuff, Secret Army and Heartbeat. He also appeared briefly in EastEnders in the early 1990s, and in a celebrity edition of Stars in Their Eyes as Roy Orbison.

And aside from television, David starred in two Mike Leigh movies – Life Is Sweet and Secrets & Lies. While on the radio in 2009, he appeared in God Bless Our Love, an uplifting, romantic comedy about a priest and a nun who fall in love and leave their orders to marry and begin a new life together.

This comes after the Weatherfield legend was recently left fighting for his life, with paramedics battling to save him before he is rushed to hospital. The character was being harassed after he was accused of murdering Lauren Bolton earlier this year.

Despite him being released from prison after being proven innocent, a group of tormentors returned to the cobbles to harass him. Roy was attacked and then ended up falling to the ground.

But Lauren has now returned, with Roy’s name cleared as the blonde bombshell navigates her shock pregnancy with nasty character Joel.