Kelly Neelan is Coronation Street's archetypal troubled teen. She's rebellious and misunderstood, vulnerable, and prone to self-destruction. Similar to a (younger) Abi, perhaps? Things have improved somewhat for Kelly recently, and guided by homeless friend Stu, she's gained a hairdressing job with Maria, made an ally in Aadi, and even Nina has cooled towards her! Nevertheless, Abi's return to the street means Kelly can’t stay around much longer. Reeling from Abi's warning to leave Coronation Street, the teenager promises to try and find somewhere else to live.
Could Kelly be facing homelessness again this Christmas? Corrie blog donned a festive jumper, downed a mince pie, and joined an ITV zoom session to interview actor Millie Gibson, who told us all about it!
Hi Millie, What an incredible year you have had on the show!
When you joined Coronation Street, did you ever imagine being involved in such hard-hitting storylines?
No, not at all. I'm honoured and flattered to be trusted and be involved in such storylines. They are all very current and woke; hate crime, teen suicide, drug use, living on the streets, they are all delicate and equally challenging serious issues!
What has the public reaction been like?
It’s still quite mixed, I’m not sure if that comes as a surprise still. We have seen struggle with time in prison, the injustice, and more so when she came out. I think viewers are still holding on to her involvement in the attack.
Are viewers still ‘Team Abi’ do you think?
Yes, and I think it’s hard to have sympathy for someone who's involved in such a horrible crime! It would be hard to give someone like that any sympathy, but people can relate to it.
How does Kelly feel when Abi tells her to leave Coronation Street?
Kelly never thought she would have allies with people like Nina, the Alahan’s, and Yasmeen. As she gets people on board, and her redemption begins, she realises she can’t share the same world as Abi. Abi is full of vengeance and anger for her. Kelly then starts to go into that self-destructive turmoil mindset again.
On Boxing Day, Kelly still can’t find anywhere to stay. Before she goes, she leaves flowers for Seb at the memorial garden. Abi finds out and is furious. How does Kelly feel about this?
It is an overreaction but if you put yourself in Abi’s shoes, she finds flowers from a person that was involved in her son’s murder. It acts as a reminder, it’s anger, and she kicks off big time. It triggers her next actions against Kelly and it’s the very worst. It becomes like bullying in that respect
With things taking a turn for the worse, Kelly goes back on the ‘spice’ again. How has it felt portraying this homeless / drug abuse storyline?
It's been very challenging, and I was quite nervous to act out the scenes on spice. I did some research on how to perform it and I did some work with SHELTER to educate me in the homeless aspect. It was heartbreaking to learn more about young women being homeless. Responsibility is a big thing - I wanted to do it justice.
Kelly begrudgingly heads to an NA (narcotics anonymous) meeting, where Abi is also in attendance. How does she feel about this?
In the NA meeting, it becomes apparent how weirdly alike Abi and Kelly are. It seems they both have a similar relationship with drugs, like a lot of addicts, and the family loss, alongside the self-destructive mindset. She doesn’t want to make too much of it in the meeting, at the risk of rattling Abi, but she speaks about her personal experiences and feelings, and Abi recognises a lot of herself in Kelly.
Gary and Maria also offer to help and look out for Kelly. Does she see them as a new family unit?
I think it’s another unlikely home situation. She’s house hopping and happy to have open arms and a roof over her head. However, it’s ironic that everything she’s been through so far, she wouldn’t have been through, if it wasn’t for Gary, and he knows that. If the truth comes out, it could be the final straw for Kelly!
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I think we can all agree that Millie Gibson has given outstanding performances throughout this year. Maybe 2022 will see her reconcile and become a confidante of Abi? Laura is also due back on the scene, so it looks likely that more trouble is on its way for Kelly!
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