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"Oh Jason, I'm filling up here!!"
~ Todd mocks Jason over his failed relationship, which results in Jason punching Todd in front of their mother Eileen.

Todd "James" Grimshaw is a fictional character and anti-hero of the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. He served as a regular protagonist from 2001 to 2004 before making two guest appearances in both 2007 and 2011 respectively. He then reappeared an anti-hero from 2013-2017 until the character made a sudden departure due to real life problems with the actor. He was recast and reprised his anti-hero role from 2020-2021 onwards.

He is the son of Eileen Grimshaw and the younger half-brother of Jason, as well as the stepson of Pat Phelan.

From 2001 to 2017, the character was played by Bruno Langley, who also portrayed Adam Mitchell in Doctor Who. He was later replaced by Gareth Pierce in 2020-2021.

History[]

Todd Grimshaw first appeared at Weatherfield alongside both his brother Jason and their mother Eileen in 2001, wherein for the first two years wasn't really villainous to begin with. He bonded with Sarah Platt as they went to school together, and was there to support her when she got hospitalized in a car accident caused by her troublesome ex-boyfriend Aidan Critchley in 2002. A year later, Todd continued to support Sarah after she and her family endured a traumatic event where her stepfather Richard Hillman was exposed as a serial killer and fraudulent businessman; this culminated in Richard kidnapping Sarah and her infant daughter Bethany, along with half-brother David Platt and mother Gail Platt, before driving them all in a canal in an attempt to kill them all and himself in a familicide - but in the end Richard himself drowned whilst his entire stepfamily, including Sarah and Bethany, all survived.

Following her family's ordeal with Richard and it's aftermath, Sarah formed a relationship with Todd and he gave up his studies to help with her independent future against her mother's reservations. Todd even thought about adopting Bethany as time went on. However, he soon discovered he was gay and chose to keep this from Sarah to the point where he began two-timing with her and David's eldest brother Nick Tilsley. But that didn't last and Todd proceeded to have an affair with a nurse at the hospital where he worked alongside David's father, Martin Platt, as a porter. Sarah eventually learns about Todd's cheating, which left her angry and distraught. When Gail learns about this as well, she furiously confronts Todd and ends up having a fight with Eileen on the street when the situation gets out of hand. This is stopped when Jason and his boss Charlie Stubbs return home to learn about Todd's cheating, before Gail demands that he stay away from her family. It was then that Sarah grew increasingly stressed with the incident that have tragic consequences for her and Todd, when their newborn son Billy dies on the day after it was born prematurely. Unable to face the backlash from Coronation Street residents, Todd left for London to continue his studies in 2004.

Todd came back to Weatherfield in 2007 for Jason's wedding to Sarah and they made up and put their bad feelings behind them, as Todd previously punched Sarah after finding out that she and Jason had started a relationship behind his back after Billy's death. Soon afterwards, Todd made another visit for Easter weekend in 2011 and was keen to depart sooner than later since he was didn't want to stick around long upon growing too embarrassed by his roots. He also got annoyed by his mother's carry on when she got drunk in the pub and hoped to make a quick getaway. Todd eventually made up with Eileen, before leaving for London once again.

In 2013, Todd returned in late 2013 and his villainous side emerged when it quickly becomes clear that he had changed for the worst. It started when his family learned that Todd was dumped by his last boyfriend Jude, and later became roommates with another love interest called Alex Hughes to the point where they were planning to do a holiday in New York. But instead, Todd became lazy and stole money from Alex before vanishing without his knowledge. Todd came back to Weatherfield just moments after Alex also appeared to find Todd over stealing his money. When they crossed paths in front of Eileen, she paid off Alex and he left. She then told off Todd, but allowed her son to stay against Jason's consent, though under the instructions that he was to pay her back.

In 2014 Todd appeared to take interest in local gay nurse Marcus Dent, who was in a heterosexual relationship with Maria Connor and a father figure to her son Liam. Todd began to manipulate Marcus and they had an affair. This was later discovered by an upset Maria and Marcus found himself thrown out. In an act of cruelty, Todd later dumped Marcus after getting bored of his mind games, much to the disgust of his family. Marcus did manage to make up with Maria as she understood how deceitful and unfaithful Todd could be, but Marcus chose to leave the street for a new life.

Todd's family soon grew tired of his antics and when he tried to invite them for a meal to the local restaurant the Bistro, they didn't show up. Leaving the place, he wandered off and ended up being mugged and badly beaten. His family felt guilty and Eileen invited Todd back to stay with her and it appeared they made peace at last. But unaware to them, Todd had felt betrayal and the trauma of his injuries led to his plans for revenge.

In 2015, Todd started to manipulate Jason into thinking that his girlfriend Eva was having an affair with Jason's father Tony Stewart. This led to Jason confronting them at a bar, where he saw them embrace and started attacking Tony. But it was then Jason had discovered they were planning to surprise him, as Tony was buying a flat for the pair of them. This caused an angry Eva to leave Jason and move away, leaving him heartbroken. Todd managed to put on the facade of the caring brother for Jason, before then targeting their mother in his revenge plan next. Upon learning that Eileen had begun internet dating, Todd posed as a businessman named "Jeff" claiming to be from Dubai. Eventually, Jason and Eileen uncovered the extent of Todd's vendetta against them and he cruelly admits to ruining their own relationships out of spite. After mocking Eva and being punched by Jason for it, Todd moves out and continues to resent Jason and Eileen under the accusation that they ruined his life.

Sometime later, however, Todd ultimately redeems himself when he donates a kidney to Jason after the latter gets hospitalized at the hands of Sarah's ex-boyfriend Callum Logan. Thereafter he teamed up with Tony to get revenge on Callum, a drug dealer who had been terrorizing the Platts in the meantime for personal reasons. One night, they stole Callum's car on the night and blew it up on the night he was murdered by his former girlfriend and David's wife Kylie Platt. It was then that Todd stands by Jason for the rest of 2015 and in the first half of 2016, particularly when Jason receives word that his father had died of a heart attack in April that year. A month later, Callum's death becomes public knowledge and Jason is implicated as the chief suspect. Todd supports Jason, but decides to incriminate Tony as the killer after learning from Sarah that Kylie killed Callum and is urged not to inform the police as it would mean that Kylie's son Max Turner would lose his mother as well as his father. Todd relents, but does clash with David about it when Kylie dies from an attack caused by Callum's old friend Clayton Hibbs later on.

At the same time, Todd clashes with his family's new housemate Pat Phelan upon quickly discovering his nefarious antics - which Phelan uses to practically usurp Jason from his status as the landlord of Weatherfield, previously reigned by Jason's old business partner Owen Armstrong. Soon enough, Phelan manipulates Jason into leaving Weatherfield by sabotaging his business venture and arranging to have his van torched under the guise that Callum's gang are behind it. Todd quickly realizes what Phelan is doing, also learning that Phelan is responsible for vandalizing the community center owned by Yasmeen Nazir and later conned Norris Cole of his shipment of tiles. After trying to convince his mother of Phelan's evil nature to no avail, Todd reluctantly becomes involved in the "Calcutta Street" flats scam which Phelan and his cohort Vinny Ashford are projecting on their own. This culminates with Vinny fleeing Weatherfield with all the money on the day after Phelan left Eileen's ex-boyfriend Michael Rodwell to die of a heart attack; Todd discovers Michael's body and later delivers the news to Eileen before being forced to tell her the truth about "Calcutta Street", which they disclose to the rest of the street afterwards.

In 2017, Todd continues to aggravate Phelan right after Eileen marries the latter. This goes on to the point where Phelan later lashes out at Todd for mockingly suspect that he caused Michael's death. This leads Todd to believe that Phelan is the one who hospitalized next-door resident Ken Barlow, which later became a police investigation whereupon Ken's children Peter Barlow and Tracy Barlow along with grandsons Adam Barlow and Simon Barlow were all suspected in the attack. It was even hinted that Tracy's daughter Amy Barlow and former fiancé Rob Donovan were the potential assailants as well. But Todd nevertheless continued to suspect Phelan and even refused to help provide an alibi for him, most likely in retribution for what Phelan did to him earlier on. However, Todd later changes his mind when he finds evidence that Phelan was indeed proven innocent on the night Ken got attacked; Phelan had done a building job for mechanic Luke Britton at his house. He shows the evidence to the police, and from then onwards Todd and Phelan get along in better terms. They even worked together in stopping Ken's other son Daniel Osbourne, the one who is revealed to have hospitalized Ken in the end, from investigating the "Calcutta Street" as part of his journalist ambitions. Todd even defended Phelan against Gary after the latter's mother Anna Windass, who Phelan raped four years ago, allegedly hospitalized Eileen in a mistaken attack while on the run from the police after Phelan framed her for GBH on his young protégé Seb Franklin.

It is by this point where Todd has begun a relationship with local vicar Billy Mayhew after the latter's previous romance with Jason's adopted brother Sean Tully ended in disaster thanks to Todd himself. Together, they adopted Summer Spellman after her last adoptive father and Billy's last boyfriend Drew Spellman had died in a car accident. This went against the advice of Drew's homophobic mother Geraldine, but his father Angus quickly accepted his granddaughter's wishes to live with Todd and Billy. However, trouble emerges when Billy admits to have been the one who killed Ken's late daughter Susan Barlow in a road collusion that happened back in 2001. Then for reasons unknown in Christmas 2017, Todd assaults a police officer and takes Summer on the run - only to get apprehended off-screen and remanded in custody in 2018 while Summer managed to escape and reunite with Billy and Eileen in the end.

Months later, Eileen finally learned the truth about Phelan when all his nefarious crimes were exposed - including the fact that Phelan had caused Michael's death, kidnapping and murdering Vinny in revenge for his betrayal, killing Luke for getting too close to the truth, and blackmailing Michael's surrogate son Andy Carver before shooting him dead after keeping him unlawfully imprisoned in a cellar throughout nearly all of 2017. In the midst of discovering these crimes along with Phelan's rape and torment towards Anna and her family altogether, Eileen blamed Phelan for ruining Todd's life and moreover asserted that Phelan groomed Todd in the Calcutta Street scam to begin with - which further speculated to Eileen why Todd never wanted her to marry Phelan and that Todd was right about what Phelan did to Jason all along. Phelan would later be killed by Anna whilst trying to get his final revenge on Eileen, though Todd remains absent due to his own personal problems.

After remaining absent throughout 2019, Todd eventually returned to Weatherfield in 2020 - though once again gets his mother and their family into trouble with his personal problems. He soon reconciles with Summer and Billy, only to also learn that Billy has already moved on with his new boyfriend Paul Foreman. Unable to accept this, Todd hatches a plot to split up Billy and Paul in order to get back with Billy. This apparently works as Billy ends his relationship with Paul and gets back together with Todd, which remains ongoing in 2021 so far.

Trivia[]

  • In October 2017, Bruno Langley was charged with two counts of sexual assault during a time in a nightclub. This later led to his contract being terminated following an internal investigation, and his remaining scenes continued to be filmed over the course of a few weeks, with his final scene airing on the 22nd December 2017. In that same episode, a double was used to fill in for Todd as he fled with his foster daughter Summer, which also included a dub of Todd, as Langley was unable to film a proper exit due to his sacking. The following month, the character's disappearance was explained by him going on the run after assaulting a police officer.

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