Coronation Street Blog: Joe Duttine interview: Tim's heart attack and Sally's betrayal

Why does Tim go to the lengths of buying erectile dysfunction tablets? How aware of the dangers is he, given he has a heart condition?

Apart from the obvious, Tim feels like going to the doctor and being prescribed viagra is far too embarrassing and humiliating for him. Sally and Tim are very sexually active so he feels a certain pressure from the relationship but he feels like he can deal with this problem on his own. Tim hovers over the caption that warns about heart conditions so he is aware of the dangers but skips over it.

We’ve seen Tim bury his head in the sand about things before, especially around his health and his heart condition. Do you feel like he has not learnt his lesson?

I feel like he is a typical bloke, he sort of ignores things. Tim isn’t the sort to look at the instruction manual for example… he will try and figure out how to build it himself! It is not something that he thinks too much about because he is not that bright. I don’t think he will ever learn his lesson.

Talk us through when Tim becomes short of breath at the hotel, what is going through his mind?

It throws a real spanner in the works! Sally and Tim have spent the afternoon sitting in a spa and they have shared a bottle of champagne. When they get back to the hotel room, they are snogging and things are getting quite passionate but suddenly, as Tim makes his way to the minibar, he gets a bit dizzy and he collapses on the bed. Tim instantly thinks, “My heart is racing, what have I done? I am going to have another heart attack!” He is freaking out and panicking and Sally calls an ambulance.

Tim confesses to Sally that he did not go see Dr Gaddas but instead bought erectile dysfunction tablets. How would Tim feel if the rest of the street found out about this condition?

It is something that he is desperately trying to keep to himself, which is why he bought the tablets in the first place. He doesn’t want anyone to know what his problem is so if anyone else found out, it would massively knock his confidence. He would feel humiliated and he would feel so embarrassed wherever he went so that would make him not want to go anymore. It would send him into a depressive state.

Does he feel relieved that he has been honest with Sally now or is his anxiety heightened because he feels like Sally could tell someone?

Tim is incredibly anxious and it begins to put their marriage on tenterhooks.

What emotions is Tim feeling when he overhears Sally’s conversation with Ronnie?

Tim is full of rage! His first thoughts are, “How dare Sally betray me in front of someone that I don’t know?” He thinks that Sally has shared his secret with another man and that has made him feel incredibly emasculated. He also thinks that Ronnie is trying to get off with his wife so he is feeling jealousy, rage, embarrassment and humiliation. In true Corrie style, he goes up to Ronnie and punches him in the face. Tim feels that this is warranted.

If Sally was to let his secret slip, do you think that Tim would be able to forgive her?

Tim would be very cross with her because he would feel very sorry for himself and humiliated but Sally is his wife at the end of the day.

When you were first told about this storyline, were you worried that this could spell the end of Sally and Tim?

I thought this storyline was great, I loved it when I was first told about it. I thought it was a brilliant storyline because it is taken seriously but has a mix of the Corrie comedy as well. I didn’t think it would spell the end of Tim and Sally because I think they would be crazy to split them up but I think it’s a good way to challenge their relationship and create drama and conflict between the two of them without anyone having an affair. It’s a great idea to see how their relationship works through something so intimate and personal as this considering how sexually active they are.

Coronation Street brings a touch of comedy to a serious issue. Do you feel like that is important, especially for characters like Sally and Tim?

Yes, absolutely. It’s a show that needs comedy and strong characters and I think you’ve got that in Tim and Sally.

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline