Cosy crimes and gritty sagas by Corrie Blog editor Glenda, published by Headline. Click pic below!

Tuesday 14 July 2020

Sally Carman interview: Abi's shock blast from the past


Abi seems to have settled down a little recently and got her life on track, why do you think that is?

Definitely having security in work and having somewhere to live and being in a relationship. Kevin has a huge part to play in that, he has given her emotional and financial stability so he is the main factor really. She has also made some nice friendships, particularly with Sally. On paper it is an unlikely friendship but Sally always likes to have a little project, not only has she found in Abi a project that is ongoing she has also found someone who is a really good friend and brings out other sides of her that perhaps no one else does. They went through something so intense being in prison together that there is a bond there now which is pretty much unbreakable and they adore each other. Sally mothers her a little bit but Abi brings out Sally’s more adventurous side.

She must be pleased that she is back on speaking terms with Seb?

That is all she has ever wanted and that is the reason she sorted her life out. She wanted to get her family back together to right the wrongs. She knows she gave the twins up for the right reasons, she feels she has given them that chance an opportunity that she couldn't give them, but it was too late for Seb, they have come too far together and she just needs to prove it to him that she can be a good mum and friend to him. She is delighted that they are now getting close again, this was her main objective and her goal.

How does she feel about Kevin?

Kevin is security, he is reliable, he makes her feel safe, there is a peacefulness that she is enjoying right now because she has never had it, but in my opinion that can’t last. The lack of excitement could be an issue and Kevin has bitten off more than he can chew with Abi. There is also an age gap which is exacerbated by the fact that she has never really grown up. Kevin is really at the point of his life where he wants to settle down and have a quieter life and she isn't going to bring that!

Her reaction to Carla’s situation was very empathetic, do you like to see that caring side of her?

Sometimes people can get tarred with labels like druggie and down and out but there is more to Abi than that, her turning to drugs or alcohol is to dumb down the pain she is feeling. She has got a massive heart, anyone that she sees as genuinely in distress she will help them as she recognises their pain and that is what happened with Carla.

How does she feel when she realises the car that is broken down is the twin’s adoptive dad?

It is a huge shock, it's one of those things you think about in life. Like if you break up with someone and you wonder if you might bump into them and how you would react. On a much deeper level for her, her twins still live in Manchester, is she going to see them in the street one day? So this call is a bit of a punch in the stomach, one of those stomach drooping moments that gives you a physical reaction. She was expecting it one day but it doesn't make it any less difficult to cope with.

When Kevin breaks the news the twins are moving to Australia that must be so hard for her.

That is a completely different thing for her as she had always thought in her head she might have an incident where she meets the kids, so be told they are going to Australia is a bit of a blind sider for her. In a lot of ways it is probably better because it draws a line in the sand, they will be on the other side of the world and she will never see them again. But it has taken away that hope and comfort that she might have seen them again in the future. Now she is never going to see them until they are adults and they come looking for her, if they ever do. It sends her reeling. She also feels as though this news justifies what she did, whenever she feels overwhelmed she tells herself she has to give them this opportunity but she is heartbroken it is 100% sacrifice on her part.

What is going through her mind when Seb tells her that the family will let her see the children one more time? She must be very torn.

She doesn't want to do that again, for any of them, she did it before and she didn’t get over that for a long time. It was really really difficult. She does want to see them but she just knows it is going to open all the wounds, they are going to look older, they will have changed, will they remember her properly? She feels like they said goodbye and do they really need the upheaval of seeing her again? But it is mainly self preservation, she doesn't think she can go through it again.

Kevin asks her to move in this week, is she ready for that level of commitment?

Abi is always very ‘jump in think later’ and she does really care for him, she needs somewhere to live and they work well together, she adores Jack. She thinks ‘why not’, she is a little bit naive when it comes to relationships despite all her history. She certainly hasn't thought about how it looks for Seb, he sees her just moving on to a new family. She just feels safe and secure and doesn't see the bigger picture, she has just presumed they can all be one big happy family.

What do you like about playing Abi?

I love that she is flawed, she has been so unstable in life that she can have that range of looking as though she is sorted one minute, she can be funny and comedic and then devastated the next minute. You never quite know where she is going to be or what she will do next, and that gives so much scope for storyline. What I also love is that at the core of her she hasn’t got a bad bone in her body, she is impulsive, she doesn't think things through. She can be selfish,iIrresponsible she can be all these things but her heart is so good.

Would you be friends with her?

Absolutely not! She is too much like hard work, because of the kind of person she is to be a friend to Abi would take a huge commitment because I would want to do it properly and I think that would be all consuming and to the detriment of other parts of my life.

Glenda Young
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GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!

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