Daniel Brocklebank gets inundated with requests from fans to take selfies with his dog since he took the canine on \'Loose Women\'.
The 40-year-old soap star - who adopted his four-legged friend Colin from the Dogs Trust in March last year - admitted his \'Coronation Street\' co-stars have taken in his pet pooch as one of their own, and his mutt has become something of a celebrity in his own right.
Speaking to the Express.co.uk, he said: "Only \'actor\' dogs can go on set but there\'s no shortage of people wanting to give him lots of attention.
"Maureen Lipman, for instance, or Chris Gascoyne often take him for a little walk. He\'s become the communal \'Corrie\' dog. And he often gets recognised.
"He\'s all over my Instagram and, ever since I took him on to \'Loose Women\', we get stopped and people ask for selfies with him. I simply cannot imagine life now without him. He gives me untold joy. It\'s true what they say - he\'s this man\'s best friend."
Daniel - who has played vicar Billy Mayhew on the cobbles since 2014 - also admitted Colin helps him cope with any cruel comments from online trolls.
Asked if any of the critics bring him down, he firmly replied: "No - because I love my job and I\'m very lucky to have continuous employment.
"Mark you, this little one doesn\'t half give my life a purpose. In the end, it\'s all about him."
The \'Corrie\' actor recently revealed he\'s adopted Dachshund pup Karen-Jean - also from the Dogs Trust - after she was smuggled into the UK from Poland.
Daniel has teamed up with the welfare charity for its Don\'t Be Dogfished campaign to help stop dog lovers falling victim to deceitful puppy sellers online.
He previously said: "By advising dog lovers on what to watch out for we hope the campaign will help prevent people being dogfished.
"Colin is such a huge part of my life and is being lovely with Karen-Jean, I can\'t wait for Karen-Jean to settle in just as well as he did.
"I\'m excited to watch them play together and form a bond, they\'ve definitely found their forever home with me."
