Coronation Street Blog: May 2024

Tuesday 21 May 2024

Coronation Street's week of special episodes as truth about Lauren is revealed

Get ready for a huge week of drama on Coronation Street as Roy’s prison hell comes to a head and predator Nathan Curtis is firmly put on the police’s radar as we discover what really happened on the fateful night that teenager Lauren Bolton disappeared!

In a gripping promo from ITV Studios we see how the week will play out, the tension building as the show is stripped across five nights with the first four episodes reliving the same day but through different characters’ eyes.

We see Sarah (Tina O’Brien) determined to rid daughter Bethany (Tina O’Brien) of her evil ex-abuser Nathan (Chris Harper) who has been making his presence felt once more. With Bethany threatening to leave Weatherfield, Sarah is determined to prove that Nathan is behind Lauren’s disappearance, whatever the stakes.

Carla (Alison King) and Bobby (Jack Carroll) are under pressure, accused of perverting the course of justice as they desperately try to clear Roy’s name.

DS Swain (Vicky Myers) also has Nathan in her sights. The evidence against him mounting, are the police about to nail their man or is there still more to this mystery than meets the eye?

Meanwhile as Dee-dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) fights for justice for Roy, far right activist Griff (Michael Condron) lands back in Weatherfield prison where Roy (David Neilson) is on remand awaiting trial for Lauren’s murder.

With old scores to settle and revenge on his mind Griff takes it upon himself to try and force a confession out of Roy. Believing him to be Lauren’s killer, Griff is out for blood and it soon becomes clear that Roy is in grave danger.

But as Roy’s life hangs in the balance an invaluable piece of evidence which could clear the innocent cafe owner’s name will come to light in a shocking revelation for the viewers.

The week ends as a new day dawns in Friday’s episode and the mystery of Lauren’s fate continues to be unravelled.

Executive Producer Iain MacLeod said: “This week is so gripping and unlike anything Coronation Street has done before, in terms of the story-telling. It’s modern, really exciting and has some of our favourite characters right in the middle of the drama. The murder mystery around Lauren has had us all on the edge of our seats and the race against time across this week to solve it before Roy gets seriously hurt is so engrossing and cleverly plotted. It is also the launchpad for a massive new chapter in that narrative - so you really won’t want to miss it, if you want to carry on trying to piece together this thrilling puzzle!”

The climactic week of episodes will be stripped across five nights between Monday 27th and Friday 31st May, as the show’s biggest secret is revealed following months of suspicion and intrigue.

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!

Spoilers for next week's Coronation Street - May 27 to 31 2024

With Roy remanded in custody, awaiting trial for Lauren’s murder, the pressure is mounting both on the man himself and those trying to prove his innocence. While friends and family who know him are convinced that Roy Cropper is innocent, others certainly aren’t. And when far right activist Griff lands back in Weatherfield Prison, he takes it upon himself to try and force a confession out of Roy. Griff is out for blood and it soon becomes clear that Roy is in grave danger.

Meanwhile Bethany is convinced that Nathan is to blame for Lauren’s murder. Her daughter at breaking point, Sarah takes a bold move to try and get rid of Bethany’s sex offender ex for good. But when she’s caught in the act is Sarah in trouble? Or will the police find evidence of their own which puts Nathan in the frame?

In a climactic week of episodes, stripped across five nights, we’ll see Carla and Bobby on the wrong side of the law, facing charges for perverting the course of justice. But just as it looks like Swain and Kit are about to crack the case, the audience will be hit with a bolt out of the blue as a new piece of evidence reveals who Lauren’s killer really is! Have the police got their man in Nathan or is a predator still at large?

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!

Tina O'Brien interview: Can Sarah get rid of nasty Nathan?

How does Sarah feel watching Nathan sniffing around again, almost taunting Bethany?

She’s so upset and angry, Nathan’s literally in her face and he’s just vile, he doesn’t care about anything or anyone and if anything I think he quite enjoys it. He’s basically saying that he’ll do what he wants, he’s not going to leave Weatherfield, he’s disgusting. Sarah just feels completely helpless then this plan brews in her mind and she’s determined to do anything she can to rid Bethany of him.

Sarah tries to pay Nathan off, so how does she feel when he makes it clear he has no intention of leaving?

She’s devastated, she feels like she’s done everything she can to get him out of Weatherfield then he just throws it in her face. He took the money, now he’s making it clear he’s got no intention of going anywhere, he’s horrible.

Why is Sarah so determined to get rid of Nathan?

She sees how he’s affecting Bethany, she knows how she fell apart last time, the trauma she went through and she’s really concerned that Bethany won’t feel safe in Weatherfield now. She doesn’t want her to always be looking over her shoulder to the point that she feels that her only option is to leave again.

Is she worried that his presence could push Bethany away?

It does get to the point where Bethany says I think I’m going to have to leave, I can’t stay and Sarah’s devastated by that. She’s only just got her daughter back and she wants her to be close by where she can have a relationship with her.

She makes a big decision, to try to plant evidence on Nathan, do you think she’s worried this could get her into trouble?

She’s never done anything like this before, she’s made bad decisions but she’s never gone out of her way to actively break the law. I think she’s nervous and worried but she’s putting that to the back of her head because she’s determined to do what she can to make sure he leaves her family alone and he leaves her daughter alone.

Does Sarah think, like Bethany, that Nathan is responsible for Lauren’s disappearance?

Sarah feels that he’s responsible and this is justice, if the police can’t find the evidence then she’ll try and put it there. She’s pretty convinced he’s behind this, she’s maybe not 100% sure but all the signs are pointing in his direction and that’s enough.

So how does she feel when Kit catches her in the act?

She’s really scared, she realises there is a possibility she could be caught out here and be charged. Obviously she knows it’s illegal but she’s been blinded by her want and need to protect Bethany and not thought the consequences through.

Are you enjoying revisiting the Bethany and Nathan storyline as part of the wider drama involving Lauren’s disappearance?

Absolutely, originally Sarah was quite separate to the Lauren storyline, it seemed to have nothing to do with her, but the second that Nathan resurfaced it brought her into the fold. It’s this want and need to find Lauren, to know if she’s alive or dead and to know if it’s Nathan who’s done this to her. So I’m really enjoyed being part of it.

Do you think it’s important to revisit the historic abuse of Bethany when focussing on another young woman caught up in that world?

I really do, it wouldn’t be real to say there’s an end to Bethany’s story, there’s never going to be an end for her. Nathan is still out there, he’s out of prison, he’s not going to have changed his spots. He certainly doesn’t seem rehabilitated and the more we learn about him the more we realise he is still possibly up to his old tricks. Just because there was a court case and he was convicted doesn’t necessarily mean it will ever all be over in Bethany’s heart or her head.

Knowing this will never be over for Bethany, how much guilt does Sarah hold onto as a mum?

I think she feels very guilty that she was led down the garden path as to what was really going on, although she never trusted or liked Nathan she didn’t have any idea as to what was really happening to Bethany. So she feels an enormous amount of guilt and wants to put things right however she can.

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!

Channique Sterling-Brown interview: Can Dee-Dee save Roy?

Roy’s case has really been taking over Dee-Dee’s life and led to her even receiving death threats recently. How is she coping with everything?

I think Dee-Dee is really starting to buckle under the pressure. She’s been trying really hard to hold it all together but ultimately I think the pressure of the street and the pressure she has on herself is taking a toll on her. Roy isn’t just a client to Dee-Dee, she really values him as a person so I definitely think she’s starting to feel the immense pressure of it all and we can really see the strain that it’s putting on her.

Dee-Dee must be used to similar cases after being a hot-shot lawyer in America but with everyone on the street relying on her to free Roy, is she out of her depth?

I don’t think this case is out of her depth but I think the fact she’s coming up with so many blanks is starting to really cause her to doubt herself. She is finding all of these mitigating factors that should be brilliant evidence to free Roy but it just all seems to be coming up against resistance. She’s just looking for that one thing that’s going to bring it home, but that’s proving a lot harder than she could have ever imagined.

How did you feel when you found out Dee-Dee would be representing Roy Cropper?

It’s so crazy! I was really excited because It’s brilliant for me to get to work with more of the cast. It’s been really exciting because it’s such a big storyline for the year and it’s been great to get my teeth into more of the lawyer side and be in court again. It’s been a real rollercoaster of emotions, especially also playing the humanness amongst everything else with Dee-Dee having her own personal feelings working on the case whilst remaining a professional side, too. It’s been a great challenge for me and I’ve definitely learned a lot.

What’s it been like working with David Neilson so closely?

It has been absolutely brilliant! David is just so funny and he couldn’t be more different to Roy. I’ve just loved chatting with him, then the cameras will roll and we will rehearse and he absolutely embodies Roy in such an effortless way. It has been truly amazing and has also been a bit of a masterclass for me to play across from David and learn some of his wisdom and expertise.

Now that they’re finally back together, Joel seems to really help keep her grounded and support her. Does she think this is the real deal now?

Yeah, I definitely think so in terms of agreeing to move forward, she is definitely someone who believes in forgiveness and now that she’s made that decision for them, she is really excited about the future. In and amongst all of the chaos of life, he’s almost like her life raft in it and is the one who is keeping her ticking over by making sure she’s fed and afloat. The relationship is definitely proving invaluable to Dee-Dee.

This week, it’s clear Dee-Dee is really feeling the pressure of Roy’s case when Bobby gets arrested for perverting the course of justice and she realises Roy’s defence is up in smoke. Do you think she’s losing all hope for Roy now?

I don’t think she’s lost all hope because she believes Roy is innocent, but I definitely think the walls have closed in, in a new way. Now that Bobby has been arrested, I think it’s a race against time for Dee-Dee now to find something that will be concrete enough to ensure Roy’s innocence. He’s already suffered so much, so Dee-Dee is now so desperate to make sure he walks away.

After putting so much of her time into the case and feeling like they finally had a breakthrough to then realise Carla and Bobby had kept this from her, does she feel betrayed by them?

Dee-Dee definitely feels betrayed and really disappointed by Carla especially due to the fact she’s given her such a hard time. I think more than anything, Dee-Dee’s thoughts are just on Roy. Obviously Dee-Dee couldn’t be in the loop anyway because that would be a conflict of interest, but she does have a lot of frustration with the fact that Carla and Bobby have now caused a real problem going forward and that’s something that will definitely start to show.

Speaking of betrayal, Dee-Dee will discover this week that Joel will be representing Nathan. How does Dee-Dee feel about this?

Dee-Dee isn’t happy about Joel representing Nathan. Dee-Dee has such a strong moral compass and Nathan is potentially the key to proving Roy’s innocence. In addition to this, the fact that Nathan is someone who has hurt Bethany, and Dee-Dee and Sarah are really good friends, will probably cause a bit of friction between Joel and Dee-Dee.

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!