Bradford actor Chris Fountain is at the centre of a dramatic surrogacy storyline spanning nightly episodes of Coronation Street this week.

Chris, who was this month nominated for a British Soap Award for Sexiest Male, has played Tommy Duckworth since joining the soap in 2011.

This week viewers have been gripped as Tommy’s former girlfriend, Tina McIntyre, gave birth to a surrogate baby son she has been carrying for Gary Windass and his disabled partner Izzy Armstrong.

The premature birth followed the revelation that Gary had made a pass at Tina, sending Izzy into turmoil.

With Tina recovering from giving birth two months early, and having to bond with the sick baby in ways she never expected, Tommy comforts her through her ordeal.

Chris, from Wibsey, says the dramatic storyline is the latest chapter in Tommy and Tina’s rocky relationship. “He's proud and he didn't want her having someone else’s baby, but Tommy’s aware that she was doing it for him and his money problems,” said Chris.

In recent weeks viewers have seen Gary grow closer to Tina, attending ante-natal classes with her and trying to kiss her. During this week’s much-anticipated re-opening of the Rovers Return, following a fire earlier this year, Izzy overheard the pair talking about their ‘dirty little secret’. When Tina went into labour it was Tommy she turned to in her hour of need.

“It was a big thing for Tommy to go in the ambulance with her. It was like, ‘Gary get out of the way’!” said Chris, revealing that, while his co-star Michelle Keegan, who plays Tina, was busy acting out labour pains, he was actually in pain.

“Michelle was really squeezing my hand, it was blue,” he laughed.

Chris, 25, started acting as a child in Buttershaw St Paul’s Amateur Dramatic Society. Aged 15, he joined Hollyoaks, playing Justin Barton. He left the Channel 4 soap after six years and in 2008 he was runner-up on ITV’s Dancing on Ice.

Chris joined Coronation Street as the grandson of Jack and Vera Duckworth and has been involved in some dramatic storylines.

He’s not giving much away about the outcome of this week’s special Corrie episodes.

Will Tina be tempted to fight to keep the baby, and will she and Tommy ever get back together?

“Potentially,” said Chris. “Because the baby's so ill we've been filming in the hospital for the last three months so they're always together.

“Tommy is really proud of Tina and wishes he’d realised sooner what a good thing it is she's done.”