Coronation Street Blog: Chris Gascoyne interview: Peter's on the road to ruin

How is Peter feeling as he returns from Scotland?

He very much puts on a brave face and says he hasn’t had a drink whilst he has been away and feels that he has really turned a corner but he has to accept that there is no improvement in his liver function and that this is going to be a long road for him.

How does he react when Daniel says he wants to be a liver donor if they match?

He absolutely refuses, he has heard someone in the hospital who is waiting for a transplant and being critical of alcoholics who are on the waiting list. He really doesn't feel as though he deserves anyone's help and he certainly doesn’t want his brother putting himself at risk for something Peter has brought on himself.

Why does he go to see Adam?

He wants to make a legal document so that he can’t be treated against his will. He knows it will upset his family but his mind is made up.

Does he not feel guilty about the upset he is causing his dad and the rest of his family?

He has pressed the self destruct button he genuinely does not feel he is worthy of treatment. He knows that Ken is upset but he lies to him and tells him he is at a meeting to get him off the scent. But he is still drinking even though he knows it will kill him.

Will he not even listen to Carla?

He has gone beyond being able to listen to anyone. He is openly drinking in front of them and he won’t accept anyone’s help. When Jenny tells him to leave because living in a pub is clearly not helping him he turns down the offer to stay at number 1 because Ken insists it comes with the caveat that he must stop drinking. He is an addict and all he can think about now is drinking.

What about Simon, he lost his brother recently?

This is the thing, he has got so low that he has totally lost sight of the fact that he really needs to be there for his son. Simon is having to deal with Leanne’s grief all on his own but the drinking has made Peter selfish and oblivious to what is happening around him.

How do you feel about the fact that Peter has got to this stage?

We were always heading this way, Peter is a flawed character, he is so complex and it makes total sense that after everything he has gone through he has started drinking again. He is a great character to play because deep down he is a good person but the drink changes his personality. To have so many different sides of a character to play means it is always interesting to get the scripts and see what he is going to do next.

Glenda Young

Author of gritty, family saga novels with Headline