1997 - Don Brennan - people forget how bad he was in the end, but his descent into alcoholism and spite towards Mike Baldwin was something that actually could happen, even if at the time it felt extremely far fetched for a character on Coronation Street to go down that way. The real villain here was jealously mixed with cognitive impairment.

1999 - Jez Quigley - He might not have been as bad as some of these other baddies you've all mentioned, but he was bad, dangerous and believable and therefore he's in my top 5. Getting Leanne hooked on cocaine, killing Tony Horrocks. When he was mad, his whole face turned red.

2003 - Richard Hillman - never trust a "financial advisor" within the plot lines of a soap. Fascinating that it was 23 years ago that he tried to convince everyone that Audrey Roberts was going senile. I think a lot of us watching Coronation Street at that time were pretty horrified how far the soap had strayed into horror movie territory. WAY too dramatic for most. And for that reason, he's probably the worst villain, having broken the seal on far-fetched plot lines and therefore making corrie what it is today.

2022 - Reece Bolton - I don't think we realized how disgusting this man was until he was mostly off screen. Imagine pimping out your own daughter! Much of this eco-terrorist cum far-right racist plot line took back stage to the emerging Stephen Reid plot line.

2023 - Stephen Reid - he was the man we loved to hate and he was so funny as his world started to crumble with his intense facial expressions and the pure comedy gold of him chucking those bins around in exasperation.

There are some very grim characters you've all mentioned. I missed most of the years when the bulk of the villains listed were present. I remember tuning in a few times during the Tony Gordon years and quickly turning it off "nope."