Corrie Blog Interviews Andrew Still - Justin's Warped Thinking Leads To An Acid Attack!!

Justin Rutherford’s stalking of Daisy Midgeley has been a slow-burner of a stalking storyline. Considering Daniel’s traumatic history with Sinead, I guessed they weren't going to give Daisy cancer, but not many could have predicted that the random fella she met in the hospital would become her stalker. I certainly didn't. What began as a chance meeting at Weatherfield General, Justin’s delusions have led him on a cat and mouse game with the Rovers barmaid, from flowers and chocolates, social media trolling, through to becoming a delivery driver on Coronation Street trying anything to win her heart. His delusions have left the feisty barmaid feeling paranoid and repressed, leading her to have doubts about marrying Daniel. It's a story that’s almost played out in real-time and has given Daisy’s character far more depth, displaying a range of emotions, despair and anguish about Justin's predatory predilection. However, Daisy recently turned the tables on Justin, by luring him to Victoria Gardens to get him arrested for assault. 

Out on bail, Justin has kept the peace until now, but with Daisy’s wedding day finally here, Coronation Street has told us that Justin is seeking revenge and throws acid at Daisy on her wedding day itself! A classic Corrie will they / won't they wedding has been promised, but will Justin get the ultimate revenge and destroy Daisy’s good looks, Instagram-mad image, and her whole life on this most important day? It promises to be a Corrie crescendo to this storyline, and I cannot wait to see what happens! 

A few weeks ago, and as part of a Coronation Street press day to discuss this storyline development, your no.1 Corrie fan (aka me) joined Zoom to chat with Scottish actor Andrew Still to learn more about playing Justin Rutherford and his revenge acid attack on Daisy!

Hi Andrew! Thanks for chatting with us today. 

What is going on in Justin’s mind in the lead-up to this event - why does he continue to harass her, even though she clearly wants him to stop? 

He’s stuck in this obvious thought pattern with her and he can't let go of this attachment that he’s got her. After his Mum died, he lost his purpose and decided that Daisy is his new purpose. He’s putting everything into it and fearing that he may lose it all which is why he is going so far in trying to keep hold of her. He’s using the death of his Mother to justify his terrible decision-making. 

We haven't seen a violent side of Justin until he launched himself at Daisy in Victoria Gardens. Can you tell us why his behaviour has escalated from flowers and chocolates to bombarding social media messaging to this point? 

That Victoria garden scene was a real tipping point for Justin in this story. He's been dealing with his mother's death and that rejection from Daisy has been building up for weeks and months and of course that goading from Daisy was from the day of the funeral itself. He was publicly embarrassed by her filming him, getting him kicked out of his Mother’s wake, and the pressure causes him to go over the edge. In his warped thinking, he sees himself as the victim. His grief is making his behaviour very risky and his dissociation is rather dangerous. 

After being released on bail, Justin keeps out of Daisy’s way until the morning of the wedding and he decides to throw acid at her! Why has he suddenly taken things to this extreme? 

I guess his thought process is that he’s finally taking things on board, and all of Daisy’s words have hit home. They're never going to be together, she doesn't want anything to do with him, and as that's sinking in - it's hurting his pride and his ego coupled with the misplaced hurt and anger that he’s feeling around the death of his Mum. He’s also got the anger that Daisy has all of her life to look forward to with Daniel whilst his life implodes. I think at that moment, he’s starting to think of ways to hurt her the way that she’s hurt him. It's a total act of hate. He can't justify it in his head, as much as he’d like to. He crosses a boundary that hasn't been crossed before. 

In an ideal world, what does Justin think he will get out of attacking Daisy with Acid?!! 

I think he’s got the blinkers up a bit. I don't think he’s really thought that far ahead. In the time leading up to the attack, he’s just thinking about revenge after everything she's put him through. He’s laser-focused on the attack and hasn't thought about the repercussions. It's only after the event itself that he realises what he’s done. The reality then seeps in. 

As an actor, what did you feel about the acid attack storyline? 

I was pretty shocked, I didn't realise it would go that far. To be honest, I was a little bit intimidated. It is such an awful crime you obviously want to do it justice. I felt as long as I did my research and gave everything to the character - hopefully, it'll resonate well with the audience. I did a lot of research on stalking at the start of this role, and read countless articles on it, and then the same with acid attacks and researching the acid survivor's trust. I thought it was important to have an understanding of the crime itself. 

Thanks, Andrew!

Coronation Street airs Daisy’s wedding day episode (10912/13) tonight at 8 pm on ITV and ITVX

What do you think about this acid-attack story? Let us know in the comments section!

I am @rybazoxo your die-hard Coronation Street fan and roving Corrie blogger

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