Gary Windass
Encyclopedia
Gary Windass is a fictional character
in the UK television ITV
soap opera
, Coronation Street
. Portrayed by actor
Mikey North
, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 14 November 2008.
. An ITV spokesperson said of the character and his onscreen family: "The Windass family are very rough and ready, always ducking and diving. Early on they get involved with David Platt when he helps to fit a new kitchen in the Windass family home. However, Anna thinks the work is shoddy and refuses to pay for it. David goes round, rips out the kitchen and sets fire to it outside the family’s house." fellow actress Debbie Rush said of their entrance and choice of surname for the family, that they would be prepared for the public taunts they would receive for their surname. The character was originally called Carl Windass but was changed last minute to Gary Windass after a series of name changes to all the members of the family since their inception, but before appearing onscreen.
Upon their onscreen arrival it panned out almost as planned seeing him arrive as the son of Eddie
and Anna Windass
. He and his uncle Len went after David Platt
and Joe McIntyre
after David menaced his parents into handing over the money they owed for a new kitchen. Even though he has been brought up by his parents Gary looks up to his uncle who has had a heavy impact on his personality and his antics on the wrong side of the law.
After six months of the character being onscreen North commented more about his character saying: "The first time you step onto the Street you have to stamp your mark as to what kind of character you are. At first Gary was shouty and happy to be aggressive, but the more you see it, his nicer side is coming out. In the run-up to the court case you see him showing affection towards his family. He fears the worst. He thinks he's going to go down. He's worried about his mum too."
's (Reece Dinsdale
) working tools as Len (Conor Ryan) threatens him. Gary and Len steal and burn out a sports car that David (Jack P. Shepherd
) and his friend Graeme Proctor
(Craig Gazey
) had been driving. Gary is later furious when David smugly informs him that the car was already stolen. Gary and the rest of his family later move right next door to the Platts' where their feud continues to heighten.
On Christmas Eve 2008, he flirts with Rosie Webster
(Helen Flanagan
) in the Rovers, the pair then get drunk on Rosie's birthday champagne and end up in bed together that night much to the annoyance of Kevin
(Michael Le Vell
) and Sally
(Sally Dynevor). The following day, Gary virtually ignores Rosie when he arrives at the Platts' Christmas dinner party. He then gets into a fist fight with David after telling him he has set his sights on David's girlfriend Tina McIntyre
(Michelle Keegan
). On New Year's Day 2009, Gary constantly pesters Tina, which results in Tina's father Joe warning him off. In spite of the tension, Gary shares a relatively friendly relationship with Tina, and enjoys winding David up by repeatedly bragging that Tina is soon going to be his girlfriend.
After Gary nearly brawls with Joe, he talks Len into helping him steal expensive copper piping from Joe's workplace. Joe is initially the prime suspect, but David tells the police he'd seen saw Gary and Len laughing and driving away the night of the theft. Gary is thrilled to learn that Tina believes that he is innocent, as this drives a further wedge between her and David.
In January 2009, Gary continually follows and taunts David following him down the street. During their altercation Gary mentions several things from David's past including him driving into the lake, and pushing his mother down the stairs. David, who has been warned previously by Tina to ignore Gary. Things escalate when David enters his house, having seen Tina approaching, Gary blocks him from shutting the door and tells him "Come out and fight me like a man, or are you scared?" David shoves Gary back and after a few more words the pair fight. Gary gets the better of it and David is left on the floor after the fight, later it emerges that he has a broken nose and concussion. After the fight Gary flees but he is arrested upon his return. Tina lies to the police after David tells her to, and the story also received media attention ahead of the air date.
Gary starts to become very worried that he is going to prison as Tina continues to persist with her claims. He becomes very angry when he discovers that Len has been intimidating Tina into changing her story and apologises to her for Len's behaviour. On 2 March 2009, Gary's court hearing takes place, during which Tina admits to the prosecution that she had been lying about who started the fight. Gary is cleared of the assault charge much to his and his family's delight.
A few months after the verdict David begins plotting against Gary. He steals tools from Bill Webster
(Peter Armitage
) and lets Gary take the wrap for it, only to defend him, this is a way for him to make Gary believe the air is cleared between the pair as they shake hands and make up. David tricks Gary into buying stolen goods from him - but they actually belong to Graeme. In June 2009, David takes full revenge on Gary when his mother Gail
(Helen Worth
) and grandmother Audrey Roberts
(Sue Nicholls
) go abroad. He tricks Gary into robbing a house - which is Audrey's - David steals the keys and hides all photos of his family so Gary won't know whose house he is burgling. While David deliberately stays at home during the burglary, he asks Graeme to spy on Gary as he goes to the house, Gary is about to go home when he hears that David is not coming, but instead goes into the house. Graeme tells David about this via phone and David tells him to call the police. However, David's grandfather Ted Paige (Michael Byrne
), who is housesitting, arrives at Audrey's. Gary sees him and pushes him as he tries to make a run for it, while Ted chases him. Ted recognises him and calls the police. Gary returns to the Street only to see a police car outside his house, he has no choice but to run away. David's plan to frame Gary and get rid of him has tragic consequences as Ted later has a heart attack, which he survives. Len offers Gary an alibi, but Gary is still arrested, only to be released later. Gary realises that David has set him up and attacks him, warning him not to cross him again. Gary had told his parents and the police that he wasn't robbing Audrey's house, however he later tells his parents the truth and decides to confess to the police.
Gary apologises to Ted for what happened - although this is halted by David - Ted accepts the apology and even helps build bridges between Gail and the Windass family. However, the Windass family have since been shunned by the rest of the Street, when Gary goes to the corner shop, he is ignored by Tina and taunted by Minnie Chandra (Poppy Jhakra
), although Molly Dobbs
(Vicky Binns
) is less judgmental. Gary and Eddie (Steve Huison
) are told to get out of the kebab shop by Tina and are later ridiculed by Janice Battersby
(Vicky Entwistle
) and Sean Tully
(Antony Cotton
). On June 26, 2009, Gary is sentenced, much to the delight of David, however, Gary tells the police about David's involvement in the burglary and David is the one who is shunned as a result. While Gary is incarcerated, David is beaten up on the street by an unknown attacker. When Gary is released, he gleefully reveals to David that he organised it.
In November 2009, Gary makes an insulting remark about the armed forces when he sees Ted wearing a poppy for Remembrance Day. Ted and Peter Barlow
(Chris Gascoyne) vent their anger at Gary, who takes it to heart, apologising to Ted the next day and asks to hear about his days of service. Ted's stories soon lead Gary to go on a taster weekend for the army, after which he decides to sign up. On 15 January 2010, an emotional going away party is held for him in the Rovers, David shakes hands with him, whilst slyly putting an archery
target on his back. Anna (Debbie Rush
) is furious when she discovers this, Gary tells her not to rise to it and calls David a 'loser' in front of everyone, it appears that the pub are more on Gary's side. After a tearful goodbye he says goodbye to his parents and leaves in the back of a cab.
Gary returns several weeks later with Quinny(Steven Bell), a friend who is also in the armed forces. During their visit, Quinny receives news that his brother, also serving in the Army, has lost his legs in a roadside bomb. The news makes Gary and Anna even more anxious about potentially going to war. Indeed, several weeks later, Gary goes AWOL through fear of what might happen in a warzone. He is discovered AWOL by David Platt who agrees to keep quiet. However, upon seeing the stress Anna is under, David informs the Windass parents of Gary's whereabouts. Eddie later convinces him to return to the Army.
In September 2010, Gary and Quinny return for another visit before they go to Afghanistan. Becky McDonald's half-sister Kylie Turner
(Paula Lane) sets her sights on Gary and the two end up sleeping together in Mary Taylor
(Pattie Clare
)'s motor home. Gary soon tires of Kylie, however, and attempts to win the affection of wheelchair-user Izzy Armstrong
(Cherylee Houston
). To prove himself, he stands up to a man who makes an insulting comment about Izzy's disability. Gary and Quinny later get into a fight outside the Rovers with the men in question, and Gary punches the thug. A passing Kirk Sutherland
(Andrew Whyment
) tells Gary and Quinny to go before anybody sees them. Kirk later takes the blame for the attack, with a relieved Gary thankful to Kirk for saving his Army career. The night before he heads out to Afghanistan, Gary finally gets together with Izzy.
An army officer visits Anna and Eddie in November 2010, informing them that Gary was involved in a roadside bomb and is severely injured whereas the other troops, including Quinny, had died as a result. He also states that Gary will be sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
in Birmingham
. Roy Cropper
(David Neilson
) informs the public at the Rovers about the tragic news and as a mark of respect he requests a 2 minute silence. Gary is psychologically and emotionally scarred as a result of the attack. He lashes out at those around him, including Anna. He plans on visited Quinny's bereaved parents but cannot face it and doesn't go. The chaotic aftermath of the street's tram crash on 6 December 2010 triggers Gary's post-traumatic stress disorder
and he is forced to flee to his home where he breaks down in tears. He becomes increasingly more withdrawn and begins drinking alone much to the concern of Izzy, Eddie and Anna. Eventually, Gary manages to deal with this problem himself and eventually faces Quinny's parents which seemed to have helped him a lot.
Gary becomes obsessed with Izzy's welfare. He takes a job at Underworld so he can be around Izzy more. Izzy goes into town with Sean Tully
and Julie Carp
to get away from Gary for a while, only to get robbed by a cash point. Gary then takes Izzy's wheelchair away so she cannot leave the house and says he will later return it. He then keeps her imprisoned in the house until Izzy's father Owen Armstrong
rescues Izzy. He then breaks up with Izzy.
When Owen takes an interest in Anna, Faye Butler steals Owen's phone so that she and Anna can go to the cinema as planned instead of Anna meeting Owen at The Rovers Return. Faye later sends Anna a message that Owen does not want to meet her. After Anna finds out about the situation she tells Owen she is not interested. Later Owen and Anna sleep together. Anna does not know if she has made the right desision so she tells Gary. Gary then sets Owen and Anna up at The Bistro.
. Grace Dent
of The Guardian
stated her love for the Windass family and of the character Gary, and she went onto describe him stating: "Gary Windass loves thieving cars, stealing tools from vans, spitting globs of phlegm between his front teeth and, at the mere hint of sunshine, strutting about with his top off wearing trakkie-beeees that cry out for a good boil wash. But that's fine by me as he's TWOC'd all of David Platt's thunder.." MSN branded Gary and his family as chav
s (Gary being the prime example) and being perfect guests for the Jeremy Kyle
show, and going onto to calling the a million miles away from lower class yobbish families 'The Mortons' and 'The Battersbys'. Where as Simon Swift of Soaplife magazine commented on the fact that on first looks he couldn't help feeling that Gary and the rest of the clan are a bit too much like original neighbours-from-hell the Battersbys. The character was also noted for the big impression he made within the soap in such a short space of time by Rick Fulton of The Daily Record So much so that he has been nominated for Villain Of The Year in The British Soap Awards 2009, which he did not go on to win. Kris Green of media website Digital Spy
praised and commented on the fact that Gary and her family had 'settled in so well, in such a short space of time', with actor Mikey North
stating that their success is down to the good writing and many plotlines the family received in the short time period. Mikey North also said that even though his character is a bad boy he has gained the public support after beating David Platt up, branding him as a legend for being the first one to do it. (The public loathe the character of David's antics) Ben Ashford of The Sun newspaper compared the real life fraud crimes of The Peters family, who came up with a range of illnesses including agoraphobia and alcoholism to swindle state handouts, as that mirroring Gary and the rest of his family, branding both units as 'scroungers'.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the UK television ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Portrayed by actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Mikey North
Mikey North
Michael "Mikey" North is an English actor best known for his role as Gary Windass in Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...
, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 14 November 2008.
Background
The character of Gary was created as part of a new family unit that new producer Kim Crowther introduced to the soap opera, consisting of a mother, father, son and uncle. They were originally billed as a storyline device for established character David PlattDavid Platt (Coronation Street)
David Daniel Platt is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 26 December 1990 and is portrayed by actor Jack P...
. An ITV spokesperson said of the character and his onscreen family: "The Windass family are very rough and ready, always ducking and diving. Early on they get involved with David Platt when he helps to fit a new kitchen in the Windass family home. However, Anna thinks the work is shoddy and refuses to pay for it. David goes round, rips out the kitchen and sets fire to it outside the family’s house." fellow actress Debbie Rush said of their entrance and choice of surname for the family, that they would be prepared for the public taunts they would receive for their surname. The character was originally called Carl Windass but was changed last minute to Gary Windass after a series of name changes to all the members of the family since their inception, but before appearing onscreen.
Upon their onscreen arrival it panned out almost as planned seeing him arrive as the son of Eddie
Eddie Windass
Edward "Eddie" Windass is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Steve Huison, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 14 November 2008. On 5 December 2010, it was announced that Eddie is to leave Coronation Street...
and Anna Windass
Anna Windass
Anna Windass is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Debbie Rush, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 14 November 2008.-Creation and casting:...
. He and his uncle Len went after David Platt
David Platt (Coronation Street)
David Daniel Platt is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 26 December 1990 and is portrayed by actor Jack P...
and Joe McIntyre
Joe McIntyre (Coronation Street)
Joseph "Joe" McIntyre was a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character was portrayed by actor Reece Dinsdale. Joe was introduced as the father of Tina McIntyre, and made his first appearing onscreen during the episode that aired in the UK on May 26, 2008...
after David menaced his parents into handing over the money they owed for a new kitchen. Even though he has been brought up by his parents Gary looks up to his uncle who has had a heavy impact on his personality and his antics on the wrong side of the law.
Personality and identity
The character of Gary is quite one-sided at first with him being presented as a typical bad boy. Actor Mikey North who portrays the character told the Scarborough Evening News that he is a hard nut type of guy but has plenty more side to come out stating: “Gary has a lot of sides to him. He is a bit of a hard nut, but also a charmer with the ladies.”. Also he calls his character a lovable rogue. His traits and personality are based on what his oncsreen uncle tells him to act like and in an interview with media website Digital Spy he talks about this saying: "He gets it all from his uncle Len, who in a way is his idol. Gary copies his uncle and wants to be like him, even though he realises that it's not the best thing to do." In the same interview he also speaks about the fact that Gary is in love with himself and thinks he can get any girl he wants with his own one-liners and the fact he loves to know that he is succeeding in winding people up with his antics. Popular Corrie coverage website Corrieblog described the character as cunning in the 'thick way' as he knows he would have to face consequences for fighting after he continually wound fellow character David Platt up.After six months of the character being onscreen North commented more about his character saying: "The first time you step onto the Street you have to stamp your mark as to what kind of character you are. At first Gary was shouty and happy to be aggressive, but the more you see it, his nicer side is coming out. In the run-up to the court case you see him showing affection towards his family. He fears the worst. He thinks he's going to go down. He's worried about his mum too."
Storylines
Gary takes Joe McIntyreJoe McIntyre (Coronation Street)
Joseph "Joe" McIntyre was a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character was portrayed by actor Reece Dinsdale. Joe was introduced as the father of Tina McIntyre, and made his first appearing onscreen during the episode that aired in the UK on May 26, 2008...
's (Reece Dinsdale
Reece Dinsdale
Reece Dinsdale is an English actor of stage, screen and television.-Acting career:He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1977 until 1980...
) working tools as Len (Conor Ryan) threatens him. Gary and Len steal and burn out a sports car that David (Jack P. Shepherd
Jack P. Shepherd
Jack Peter Shepherd is an English actor. He plays David Platt in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street. He joined the show in April 2000, taking over the role from Thomas Ormson.Shepherd was born in Pudsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire....
) and his friend Graeme Proctor
Graeme Proctor
Graeme Proctor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Craig Gazey, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008....
(Craig Gazey
Craig Gazey
Craig Gazey is an award-winning English actor.He attended Eggbuckland Community College up until 1998, where he attended City College Plymouth, studying a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts. He then went on to attend Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and graduated in 2005...
) had been driving. Gary is later furious when David smugly informs him that the car was already stolen. Gary and the rest of his family later move right next door to the Platts' where their feud continues to heighten.
On Christmas Eve 2008, he flirts with Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 24 December 1990. Originally portrayed by actress Emma Collinge from her birth until December 1999, the character has since been...
(Helen Flanagan
Helen Flanagan
Helen Joyce Flanagan is a British actress best known for playing Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.Flanagan has played Rosie Webster in Coronation Street since 2000, when she was ten years old....
) in the Rovers, the pair then get drunk on Rosie's birthday champagne and end up in bed together that night much to the annoyance of Kevin
Kevin Webster
Kevin John Webster is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared onscreen on 19 October 1983...
(Michael Le Vell
Michael Le Vell
Michael Le Vell is an English character actor, who since 1983 has played the role of garage mechanic, Kevin Webster, in the soap opera Coronation Street....
) and Sally
Sally Webster
Sally Webster is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Sally Dynevor, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986.-Casting:...
(Sally Dynevor). The following day, Gary virtually ignores Rosie when he arrives at the Platts' Christmas dinner party. He then gets into a fist fight with David after telling him he has set his sights on David's girlfriend Tina McIntyre
Tina McIntyre
Tina McIntyre is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Michelle Keegan, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 7 January 2008...
(Michelle Keegan
Michelle Keegan
Michelle Elizabeth Keegan is an English actress who currently plays Tina McIntyre in the soap opera Coronation Street.-Biography:...
). On New Year's Day 2009, Gary constantly pesters Tina, which results in Tina's father Joe warning him off. In spite of the tension, Gary shares a relatively friendly relationship with Tina, and enjoys winding David up by repeatedly bragging that Tina is soon going to be his girlfriend.
After Gary nearly brawls with Joe, he talks Len into helping him steal expensive copper piping from Joe's workplace. Joe is initially the prime suspect, but David tells the police he'd seen saw Gary and Len laughing and driving away the night of the theft. Gary is thrilled to learn that Tina believes that he is innocent, as this drives a further wedge between her and David.
In January 2009, Gary continually follows and taunts David following him down the street. During their altercation Gary mentions several things from David's past including him driving into the lake, and pushing his mother down the stairs. David, who has been warned previously by Tina to ignore Gary. Things escalate when David enters his house, having seen Tina approaching, Gary blocks him from shutting the door and tells him "Come out and fight me like a man, or are you scared?" David shoves Gary back and after a few more words the pair fight. Gary gets the better of it and David is left on the floor after the fight, later it emerges that he has a broken nose and concussion. After the fight Gary flees but he is arrested upon his return. Tina lies to the police after David tells her to, and the story also received media attention ahead of the air date.
Gary starts to become very worried that he is going to prison as Tina continues to persist with her claims. He becomes very angry when he discovers that Len has been intimidating Tina into changing her story and apologises to her for Len's behaviour. On 2 March 2009, Gary's court hearing takes place, during which Tina admits to the prosecution that she had been lying about who started the fight. Gary is cleared of the assault charge much to his and his family's delight.
A few months after the verdict David begins plotting against Gary. He steals tools from Bill Webster
Bill Webster
William Geoffrey "Bill" Webster is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Peter Armitage, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 February 1984. He remained in the show until 1985 when Armitage decided to leave,...
(Peter Armitage
Peter Armitage
Peter Armitage is a statistician specialising in medical statistics.Peter Armitage attended Huddersfield College and went on to read mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge. Armitage belonged to the generation of mathematicians who came to maturity in the Second World War...
) and lets Gary take the wrap for it, only to defend him, this is a way for him to make Gary believe the air is cleared between the pair as they shake hands and make up. David tricks Gary into buying stolen goods from him - but they actually belong to Graeme. In June 2009, David takes full revenge on Gary when his mother Gail
Gail Platt
Gail McIntyre is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Helen Worth, the character first appeared on screen on 12 July 1974...
(Helen Worth
Helen Worth
Helen Worth is an English actress, best known for her portrayal of the Coronation Street character Gail McIntyre- Early life :...
) and grandmother Audrey Roberts
Audrey Roberts
Audrey Roberts is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Sue Nicholls, the character first appeared during the episode aired on 16 April 1979....
(Sue Nicholls
Sue Nicholls
Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls is an English actress, best known today for her long-running role as Audrey Roberts in British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
) go abroad. He tricks Gary into robbing a house - which is Audrey's - David steals the keys and hides all photos of his family so Gary won't know whose house he is burgling. While David deliberately stays at home during the burglary, he asks Graeme to spy on Gary as he goes to the house, Gary is about to go home when he hears that David is not coming, but instead goes into the house. Graeme tells David about this via phone and David tells him to call the police. However, David's grandfather Ted Paige (Michael Byrne
Michael Byrne (actor)
Michael Byrne is an English actor noted for his roles on film and television. He has often been cast in Nazi military roles such as Colonel Vogel in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Obergruppenführer Odilo Globocnik in the BBC radio dramatisation of the novel Fatherland by Robert Harris...
), who is housesitting, arrives at Audrey's. Gary sees him and pushes him as he tries to make a run for it, while Ted chases him. Ted recognises him and calls the police. Gary returns to the Street only to see a police car outside his house, he has no choice but to run away. David's plan to frame Gary and get rid of him has tragic consequences as Ted later has a heart attack, which he survives. Len offers Gary an alibi, but Gary is still arrested, only to be released later. Gary realises that David has set him up and attacks him, warning him not to cross him again. Gary had told his parents and the police that he wasn't robbing Audrey's house, however he later tells his parents the truth and decides to confess to the police.
Gary apologises to Ted for what happened - although this is halted by David - Ted accepts the apology and even helps build bridges between Gail and the Windass family. However, the Windass family have since been shunned by the rest of the Street, when Gary goes to the corner shop, he is ignored by Tina and taunted by Minnie Chandra (Poppy Jhakra
Poppy Jhakra
Poppy Jhakra is an actress from West Yorkshire in England. She is currently in the cast of Waterloo Road as English Teacher, Eleanor Chaudry....
), although Molly Dobbs
Molly Dobbs
Molly Cosette Dobbs is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Vicky Binns, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 5 September 2005. On 7 May 2010, Binns announced she was quitting the soap...
(Vicky Binns
Vicky Binns
Victoria Jane "Vicky" Binns is an English actress who is best known for her two roles in the two veteran ITV soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street respectively. She had a lead role in 'Von trapped' opposite Caroline Quentine and also appeared in Children's Ward playing a character named...
) is less judgmental. Gary and Eddie (Steve Huison
Steve Huison
Steve Huison , is a British actor, mostly on TV and occasional films. He trained at the Rose Bruford College in Sidcup. He is best known for his role as "Lomper" in the massively successful UK box-office and critical hit The Full Monty . He also appeared in a Ken Loach film The Navigators, made in...
) are told to get out of the kebab shop by Tina and are later ridiculed by Janice Battersby
Janice Battersby
Janice Bernadette Battersby is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997....
(Vicky Entwistle
Vicky Entwistle
Vicky Entwistle is an English actress who is most famous for playing the role of "loudmouth" factory worker Janice Battersby in ITV1's long-running soap opera Coronation Street....
) and Sean Tully
Sean Tully
Sean Tully, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Antony Cotton, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 13 July 2003. Sean works as a factory machinist, and as a part-time barman in the Rovers Return...
(Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton is an English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk.-Early and personal life:...
). On June 26, 2009, Gary is sentenced, much to the delight of David, however, Gary tells the police about David's involvement in the burglary and David is the one who is shunned as a result. While Gary is incarcerated, David is beaten up on the street by an unknown attacker. When Gary is released, he gleefully reveals to David that he organised it.
In November 2009, Gary makes an insulting remark about the armed forces when he sees Ted wearing a poppy for Remembrance Day. Ted and Peter Barlow
Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)
Peter Francis Barlow is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode aired on 15 April 1965...
(Chris Gascoyne) vent their anger at Gary, who takes it to heart, apologising to Ted the next day and asks to hear about his days of service. Ted's stories soon lead Gary to go on a taster weekend for the army, after which he decides to sign up. On 15 January 2010, an emotional going away party is held for him in the Rovers, David shakes hands with him, whilst slyly putting an archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
target on his back. Anna (Debbie Rush
Debbie Rush
Debbie Rush is an English actress. She is currently playing the role of Anna Windass in Coronation Street.After training at the Manchester School Of Acting when she was in her thirties, she has also starred in Shameless and Hollyoaks in the City. Rush also filmed the role of "Pam" in the horror...
) is furious when she discovers this, Gary tells her not to rise to it and calls David a 'loser' in front of everyone, it appears that the pub are more on Gary's side. After a tearful goodbye he says goodbye to his parents and leaves in the back of a cab.
Gary returns several weeks later with Quinny(Steven Bell), a friend who is also in the armed forces. During their visit, Quinny receives news that his brother, also serving in the Army, has lost his legs in a roadside bomb. The news makes Gary and Anna even more anxious about potentially going to war. Indeed, several weeks later, Gary goes AWOL through fear of what might happen in a warzone. He is discovered AWOL by David Platt who agrees to keep quiet. However, upon seeing the stress Anna is under, David informs the Windass parents of Gary's whereabouts. Eddie later convinces him to return to the Army.
In September 2010, Gary and Quinny return for another visit before they go to Afghanistan. Becky McDonald's half-sister Kylie Turner
Kylie Turner
Kylie was initially described as having a "full on" personality, similar to Becky. She was also labelled a "firecracker". Lane described her as a "messed up girl, dragged up by an alcoholic mother". In her life she had to "fight for survival". Lane has also expressed her admiration of Kylie's...
(Paula Lane) sets her sights on Gary and the two end up sleeping together in Mary Taylor
Mary Taylor (Coronation Street)
Mary Taylor , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. played by Pattie Clare, made her first onscreen appearance on 26 November 2008 and departed on 15 May 2009 but returned in March 2010 and has appeared on the show ever since...
(Pattie Clare
Pattie Clare
Patti Clare is an English actress, best known for playing the part of Mary Taylor in ITV drama Coronation Street from 2008. Previous roles included an appearance in Doctor Who and in a spinoff episode of Torchwood.-External links:...
)'s motor home. Gary soon tires of Kylie, however, and attempts to win the affection of wheelchair-user Izzy Armstrong
Izzy Armstrong
Isabelle 'Izzy' Armstrong is a fictional character on the UK soap Coronation Street portrayed by Cherylee Houston. The character first appears on-screen on April 16, 2010; she is introduced as a new love interest for Kirk Sutherland. Soon after her arrival she gets a job at the Underworld factory....
(Cherylee Houston
Cherylee Houston
Cherylee Houston is a British actress. She grew up in Morecambe, Lancashire, in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her role as Izzy Armstrong, friend of Kirk Sutherland in Coronation Street.-Early life:...
). To prove himself, he stands up to a man who makes an insulting comment about Izzy's disability. Gary and Quinny later get into a fight outside the Rovers with the men in question, and Gary punches the thug. A passing Kirk Sutherland
Kirk Sutherland
Kirk Sutherland is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 22 May 2000, played by an uncredited actor ....
(Andrew Whyment
Andrew Whyment
Andrew "Andy" Whyment is an English television actor, best known for comedy roles, including his roles as Darren Sinclair-Jones in The Royle Family and Kirk Sutherland in the soap opera Coronation Street.-TV career:...
) tells Gary and Quinny to go before anybody sees them. Kirk later takes the blame for the attack, with a relieved Gary thankful to Kirk for saving his Army career. The night before he heads out to Afghanistan, Gary finally gets together with Izzy.
An army officer visits Anna and Eddie in November 2010, informing them that Gary was involved in a roadside bomb and is severely injured whereas the other troops, including Quinny, had died as a result. He also states that Gary will be sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is an NHS hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which cost £545 million to construct, opened in June 2010 replacing the previous Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
(David Neilson
David Neilson
David Neilson is an English actor best known for portraying Roy Cropper in Coronation Street from 1995 onwards....
) informs the public at the Rovers about the tragic news and as a mark of respect he requests a 2 minute silence. Gary is psychologically and emotionally scarred as a result of the attack. He lashes out at those around him, including Anna. He plans on visited Quinny's bereaved parents but cannot face it and doesn't go. The chaotic aftermath of the street's tram crash on 6 December 2010 triggers Gary's post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
and he is forced to flee to his home where he breaks down in tears. He becomes increasingly more withdrawn and begins drinking alone much to the concern of Izzy, Eddie and Anna. Eventually, Gary manages to deal with this problem himself and eventually faces Quinny's parents which seemed to have helped him a lot.
Gary becomes obsessed with Izzy's welfare. He takes a job at Underworld so he can be around Izzy more. Izzy goes into town with Sean Tully
Sean Tully
Sean Tully, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Antony Cotton, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 13 July 2003. Sean works as a factory machinist, and as a part-time barman in the Rovers Return...
and Julie Carp
Julie Carp
Julie Carp is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by actress Katy Cavanagh...
to get away from Gary for a while, only to get robbed by a cash point. Gary then takes Izzy's wheelchair away so she cannot leave the house and says he will later return it. He then keeps her imprisoned in the house until Izzy's father Owen Armstrong
Owen Armstrong
Owen Armstrong is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Ian Puleston-Davies. He made his first on-screen appearance on 9 June 2010.-Casting:...
rescues Izzy. He then breaks up with Izzy.
When Owen takes an interest in Anna, Faye Butler steals Owen's phone so that she and Anna can go to the cinema as planned instead of Anna meeting Owen at The Rovers Return. Faye later sends Anna a message that Owen does not want to meet her. After Anna finds out about the situation she tells Owen she is not interested. Later Owen and Anna sleep together. Anna does not know if she has made the right desision so she tells Gary. Gary then sets Owen and Anna up at The Bistro.
Reception
Tony Stewart of The Mirror said of Gary that David Platt has met his match in the character and the two of them have enough criminal convictions, Asbos and restraining orders to wallpaper over their living room and comparing Gary and his family's criminal record to that of the Battersbys', saying the latter compared to them it's like a day out with the Von Trapp familyThe Story of the Trapp Family Singers
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers is a memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was fictionalized in the musical The Sound of Music. The book was published in 1949 by J. B...
. Grace Dent
Grace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
stated her love for the Windass family and of the character Gary, and she went onto describe him stating: "Gary Windass loves thieving cars, stealing tools from vans, spitting globs of phlegm between his front teeth and, at the mere hint of sunshine, strutting about with his top off wearing trakkie-beeees that cry out for a good boil wash. But that's fine by me as he's TWOC'd all of David Platt's thunder.." MSN branded Gary and his family as chav
Chav
A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
s (Gary being the prime example) and being perfect guests for the Jeremy Kyle
Jeremy Kyle
Jeremy Kyle is an English radio and television presenter, best known for his British daytime television chat show on ITV, The Jeremy Kyle Show. Kyle is also the host of an American talk show of the same name that premiered on 19 September 2011.-Radio career:From 1986 to 1995, Kyle worked as a...
show, and going onto to calling the a million miles away from lower class yobbish families 'The Mortons' and 'The Battersbys'. Where as Simon Swift of Soaplife magazine commented on the fact that on first looks he couldn't help feeling that Gary and the rest of the clan are a bit too much like original neighbours-from-hell the Battersbys. The character was also noted for the big impression he made within the soap in such a short space of time by Rick Fulton of The Daily Record So much so that he has been nominated for Villain Of The Year in The British Soap Awards 2009, which he did not go on to win. Kris Green of media website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
praised and commented on the fact that Gary and her family had 'settled in so well, in such a short space of time', with actor Mikey North
Mikey North
Michael "Mikey" North is an English actor best known for his role as Gary Windass in Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...
stating that their success is down to the good writing and many plotlines the family received in the short time period. Mikey North also said that even though his character is a bad boy he has gained the public support after beating David Platt up, branding him as a legend for being the first one to do it. (The public loathe the character of David's antics) Ben Ashford of The Sun newspaper compared the real life fraud crimes of The Peters family, who came up with a range of illnesses including agoraphobia and alcoholism to swindle state handouts, as that mirroring Gary and the rest of his family, branding both units as 'scroungers'.