Alexandra Mardell interview: Emma waves Weatherfield goodbye

Emma Brooker has packed a lot into her four years on Corrie, and now we prepare to say goodbye to one of the most heartwarming characters the cobbles have seen. Myself and other press chatted with Alexandra Mardell about her decision to leave, what items of Emma's she took, and reflecting on her time on Corrie.

Can you describe your time on Coronation Street, and what are you going to miss the most?

Oh, gosh; that’s a big question. I think for me, It’s still kind of so surreal. Being on Corrie was always a career goal that I really wanted to do, so the fact that I was lucky enough to have that opportunity is still just ridiculous, and I’m forever grateful for that. I guess it’s the people that I’m going to miss the most. I know everyone says it, it really is a big family. I’m going to miss Emma as well, obviously.

Your first episode was in April 2018, and you leave in April 2022. When you first joined, did you have in mind that it was something you would only do for a certain length of time?

No, not really. My initial contract was only six months, and for me that wasn’t long enough. I was praying I could stick around a bit longer and luckily, I did. I love that I’m finishing in April when I started in April. The time I have done is a really good chunk and I’m pleased with that. 

Was it a difficult decision to make to leave the show?

It was really difficult. Even now, I’m like, what have I done? I know it’s right for me, but I can see so easily how people stay there for twenty, sixty years because it’s just such an amazing place to work. I just wanted to play another character. As much as I got to explore Emma in lots of different ways, there’s just some other people I want to try and give a go as well.

You’ve filmed your final scenes and the last scene you filmed was Emma’s exit scene. Can you describe what it was like?

I was so lucky and really pleased that my last scene was my last scene. I was not expecting it to be that emotional. I knew I would be upset to say goodbye to everyone, but as soon as the AD said, ‘That’s a wrap, that’s Alexandra’s last scene’, I just burst into tears, uncontrollably. I could not stop. I was just so overwhelmed, and I think because of all the support of the cast and crew being there at that moment, coming to say goodbye, it just really overwhelmed me. I was very sad to say goodbye. 

What did you know about Emma when you first joined the show?

I initially came in to distract David, and I think it was just kind of being the polar opposite of David Platt. She was very ditsy, fun, and bubbly. That was a character I hadn’t played before, I’ve always been the complete opposite so it was fun for me to get stuck into somebody really lovely and nice. 

Have you played not so nice people before you played Emma?

Before I joined Corrie, all the characters have always been quite mean and nasty. It was a nice change for me. 

What did it mean to you to discover you would be part of the McDonald family?

It was the cherry on top of the cake because I was already so thrilled to be there, and then be thrust into an iconic family like that; it was amazing. But as well, I’m really pleased it was that particular family because working with them, with Kate and Simon, they’re just such good fun. I’ve had an amazing time being surrounded by them making me laugh all the time. 

She has made a few mistakes, falling for the wrong people. Now, she’s found someone who seems to be perfect, apart from the fact she’s keeping a huge secret from him. Does she really feel she can make it work?

It’s never easy, is it for Emma? Now she’s kind of found the perfect man, of course there’s something that’s going to go wrong, but I think it’s hope for her. I think love conquers all in Emma’s mind, so that’s going to get her through anything. 

Do you think Emma falls in love too easily? 

I truly believe she was in love with everyone she’s been with, even David at the beginning. She just can’t help it; she wears her heart on her sleeve and she falls in love so quick. 

This week, we see Jon asking Emma to go to Australia. How does she feel knowing she’s got this secret when she’s been offered this perfect life?

I think in her head, it’s kind of a dream and a whirlwind, and she likes the idea of it, but maybe in reality, knowing that she’s got this big secret and she’s got her family, it might not happen like that. It’s the idea and the hope of it, the fairytale. I think in reality, she’s thinking, ‘No, this isn’t going to happen.’

As Emma is contemplating her move, Faye decides to blurt out what happened after they all find themselves in the flat together and Jon recognises Craig. What goes through Emma’s mind at that point?

I think it’s a massive shock for Emma because she wanted to tell the truth from the start and she’s only been lying to protect Faye and Craig, and it’s been breaking her heart and it’s been preventing her relationship, so the fact that Faye then just blurts it out. But she’s very relieved in the end because that’s what she wanted. For Emma, it’s a positive. 

Jon’s reaction is not a good one when this comes out, and Emma risks losing him. She’s so honest, could she have lived with that secret?

No, definitely not. Even in the past with all the lies with Curtis, she wanted a complete clean slate then got tied into even more lies. It’s not Emma at all; she is completely honest so she never would have been able to keep that in.

At that moment, Jon knows and everyone is certain he will go to the police, so Emma has options. He’s either not going to, or she disappears, or she gets arrested. Are you pleased that Emma is not getting killed off?

I’m so pleased. I think even saying goodbye now was hard enough, but that little kind of hope of one day, there’s a possibility I could go back, that kind of keeps you going. It’s not goodbye forever, you never know. I’m really glad that she wasn’t killed off.

Whilst Emma has been looking for love in all the wrong places, you’ve been planning your own wedding. It’s a big year for you, how is it going?

Everything’s going off at once. I love that, it’s very me. The plans are a lot more successful than Emma’s were, so that’s good. I’ve still got over a year yet, so I’m just kind of doing it a little step at a time, but very excited. 

On top of planning a wedding, you’re auditioning for new roles. Is it going how you hoped?

I’m a lot busier than I kind of initially thought, which is lovely. I just love every time I get an audition through, kind of the process of looking at the character and what I’ve got to do. It’s really exciting, I’ve always loved auditioning in the past, so it’s nice to get stuck back into that again. 

Do you have any specific ambitions?

Right now, I’m kind of open to anything. I’m not specifically aiming for anything; TV, film, theatre, musicals. I really would like to give everything a go now. 

Did you take anything of Emma’s with you as a keepsake?

I did, which is crazy because I don’t wear pink as myself. I actively avoid it, but that was because of wearing it so much at work. I actually pinched quite a few bits. I was allowed to pinch them, so it wasn’t just theft. I took a really big, pink fur coat which I wore on the hen do and probably will never wear in real life, but it’s nice just to have it. For me, the priority was Emma’s pink check skirt that I have on in my cast card. That was just pure Emma for me, so I’ve got that.

Would you like to return one day?

I’m not drawing a line under it. Like I said, I can see how people stay there so long. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m just so glad that Emma’s still alive and hopefully she remains alive. 

We don’t know what’s going to happen to Emma, but prison is a possibility. How do you think prison and Emma could work out?

Oh gosh, it would not be good. I feel like she would be targeted straight away. Poor Emma. But what would be interesting is to see if she went to prison and she came back in the future, how she would’ve changed. 

Of all Emma’s relationships, romantic or otherwise, what was your favourite to play?

So difficult. I really did like the love triangle with Gemma and Chesney, working with Dolly and Sam, because that was the best of both worlds. You got the love side and the friendship at the end of it. That was great fun. 

Is there a particular one line or scene of Emma’s that stands out for you?

There was one line which always stuck in my head, it just made me giggle. I think it was with Alina and Emma said to her: “Do you want a yogurt to tide you over until tea?” It really made me laugh. I’ve always remembered that line. 

You had a lot of good lines; did you ever find scenes that ended up with you laughing and couldn’t do it?

It is difficult sometimes, and especially Emma would have a chunk of just going off so quickly. It was worse when I was working with Simon. He’d make me laugh when he was doing his lines. Luckily, if the camera’s not on me I can get away with it. He’s so funny. I remember watching one time and on screen, they cut to me, and I was laughing, but I know for a fact that was just me laughing. It wasn’t in character at all. That’s just me laughing at Simon. 

If you were to come back in the future, what do you think an older and wiser Emma would be like?

It’d be so interesting to see how life experiences have changed her offscreen. It’d be nice to kind of see a more serious side and a bit more grown-up Emma, but there’s always got to be those little ditsy bits that come back. You can’t have Emma and not have these silly one-liners. 

Sophie Williams

Find me on Twitter @sophie_writer1

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