From Warzone To Weatherfield: Former Royal Marine Joins Coronation Street

A former Royal Marine who lost a leg fighting in Afghanistan has landed a role in British soap Coronation Street.

Cassidy Little, who works at BFBS and Forces TV, is joining the cast, with his first appearance airing Monday night.

He is set to appear in six episodes.

Since leaving the military, Cassidy has been carving out a media career including being a regular broadcaster on BFBS Radio and presenting the film and gaming programme, Rated, on Forces TV.

Coronation Street attracts an average audience of eight million viewers each episode and Cassidy plays the character of Greg, a Paralympic coach, who reaches out to Jack, a boy has also who has lost a limb.

Cassidy says Greg uses humour to help Jack see his amputation in a more positive way: "If you’re born as an amputee or with a disability, you learn from a very young age to adapt to that.

"But if you’re injured half-way through or even in your childhood, you still have those memories of what it’s like not to be disabled."

He also says the experience of filming with the cast and crew on the Coronation Street set has been a good one.

"Make-up, costume, on set, read-through, blocking, shoot it, lunch. It’s so slick," Cassidy says.

"The first couple of times you do it, it’s actually quite intimidating."

Cassidy, who comes from Newfoundland in Canada, has been amazed by his home nation’s reaction to his new role.

"When Canada found out that a Canadian was going to be on Corrie, it went crazy. I have never seen the media react like that."

Cassidy says he has achieved his goals by overcoming the odds. 

A member of 42 Commando Royal Marines, he lost his leg in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan in May 2011. The blast killed three of his friends.

He also won the BBC's 'The People’s Strictly Come Dancing', which was broadcast in 2015 for Comic Relief.

Cassidy and his professional dance partner Natalie Lowe scooped the glitter ball for their interpretation of the Pasodoble.