When Twitter goes mad for Carla Connor

I recently put a call out for young  bloggers to write for us about they things they feel passionate about in Coronation Street.  First up to the challenge is Hannah Jordan who has kindly written not one, but two, blog posts for us. First up is her blog post about Carla Connor with her second blog post coming tomorrow.  And now, it's over to Hannah..

Since Carla Connor’s return to Coronation Street is imminent. I thought I would take the opportunity to review some of the character’s past storylines, and how the viewers have responded to these.

Portrayed by Alison King, the character of Carla Connor has had an incredible progression over the course of ten years, leading up to her exit in May last year. The fanbase for the character and Alison herself is huge on social media platforms, particularly Twitter, and since confirmation of her return, it’s safe to say predicted theories and excitement for her comeback have built up some brilliant support in preparation.

There is no doubt that Carla’s on-screen relationships, particularly with the characters Nick Tilsley and Peter Barlow, have also made an impact on the viewers. We saw Carla begin an affair with Peter in late 2011, continuing on to its exposure in 2012. The couple battled alcoholism, custody over Peter’s son; Simon, and Carla’s pregnancy and miscarriage, after finding out that she had been cheated on with Tina McIntyre.

Later, Carla had another battle to face when she acquired a gambling addiction, as a result of the guilt following the Victoria Court fire in 2015. Carla soon began a relationship with Nick Tilsley, and the couple instantly had a huge fanbase behind them. However, their relationship was not exactly plain sailing either, when she slept with Robert Preston. The couple wed in May 2016, but shortly after Nick found out the truth, he opted to get the marriage annulled, therefore prompting Alison’s exit from the soap.

Another storyline that has touched and helped many viewers, was Carla’s rape storyline in 2011, following the assault inflicted by Frank Foster. The episode phenomenally raised 800% more calls at the Rape Crisis Helpline as a result of its broadcast and Alison went on to win awards for her work. The praise given by fans on social media was incredible, and has helped many viewers deal with their own real-life similarities.

The communal love for the character has also had an effect on a variety of media platforms, particularly FanFiction.net and WattPad, where enthusiasts can write stories about their favourite fictional characters. Hundreds of stories have been written on these sites about Carla’s character alone, the longest being over one million words in capacity.

On returning to the soap, many interviews and previews have been released, prompting speculation on what Carla’s return storyline may be. There have been hints that perhaps the character is returning in a slightly different light to how she left, with perhaps a more comical and light-hearted element. Alongside this however, fans are willing to know the secret she is carrying, and what this is going to trigger next for the soap queen.

Carla Connor returns to the street on Friday 22nd December, at 7.30pm.

By Guest Blogger Hannah Jordan

Twitter : @DrinksFxiry
YouTube : TheCorrieClub
Fanfiction : TheLyricsAreMyStory

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook 

We're a finalist!

Please vote for the Coronation Street Blog
in the UK Blog Awards 2018

---

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License