Corrie Star's Secret Southern Accent Revealed

Raphael Akuwudike, the actor behind Coronation Street's Ollie Driscoll, has revealed a surprising difference between his on-screen persona and his real-life voice. While Ollie speaks with a northern accent on the iconic cobbles, Akuwudike's natural voice is a gentle, southern-toned one.

Ollie Driscoll, who joined the soap last year, is a character with family ties to Eva Price and Ben Driscoll, and has even taken on chef duties at the Rovers Return. Recently, Ollie has been growing closer to barmaid Lauren Bolton, with the pair seen on dates.

This isn't Akuwudike's first television role; he also appeared as Kit Harcourt in the 2024 series The Marlow Murder Club and had a part in Doctors in 2019. The actor has also accumulated extensive stage experience in productions like The Player Kings and Romeo and Juliet.

In a previous interview, Akuwudike described his character Ollie as a "lover" and a "passionate person." He expressed enjoyment in his role, noting that his television experience was relatively new at the time.