Dan Kelly was an old friend of Lucy Richards, who was conducting an affair with Peter Barlow. Peter was jealous of Dan's friendship with Lucy who he met one night in November 2002 when he managed to get away for a few hours from girlfriend Shelley Unwin to see her at her flat. Seemingly an ex of Lucy's, she used him to rile Peter who had let her down for a weekend assignation. Her ploy worked and after Dan had left behind the icy atmosphere in the flat, Peter asked Lucy not to see him again. She, however, wouldn't make any such firm promises.