Dee-Dee’s been through a lot in her two years on Corrie, but how does defending Roy Cropper for murder rank up there?
She has been through a lot over the past two years but to defend Roy Cropper is 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.
Do you think Dee-Dee is feeling the pressure with this case, with all the community looking to her to free Roy? Also her awareness of how much he’s suffering in prison.
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.
Joel’s been an amazing support to her at a time when she needed it most, is she totally head over heels for him?
Yeah, I definitely think she is head over heels for him. They have been through a lot in such a short space of time and 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.
They’ve had a few wobbles with his ex wife, his secret daughter, but does she think he’s for keeps now?
Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s a really hard thing to come clean about lies so Dee-Dee does respect Joel for actively trying to fix the damage he has caused and for holding his hands up. I definitely think Dee-Dee feels the foundations of their relationship are worth building on.
You’ve been here for two years now but that’s still a relative newbie in Corrie terms, how does it feel to join a cast with such a history of fabulous, strong women?
It’s amazing to step into the legacy of Corrie women. The show is renowned for strong, funny, capable and complex women which is literally what being a woman is. It’s so important to always look for the nuances of the character, I never want Dee-Dee to be one dimensional because I just absolutely love all that she represents. I love that Dee-Dee gets to join this long line of incredible matriarchs. It’s a real privilege to get to build a character within such an iconic show.
Which women have been your mentors and friends since you’ve started, anyone you really look to and have learnt from?
Every single one! Of course, Lorna Laidlaw was a massive mentor for me, I learned so much from her and I’m so grateful to have her in my life. But honestly, all of the women on Coronation Street have been really supportive of me, all of the women on this shoot, Sair Khan and Charlie Jordan are also massive supporters for me. I’ve even learned from the women who are younger than me like Harriet, Tanisha and Elle - they all have so much wisdom and so much to share in terms of their perspective. I truly value every single person in this cast.
Corrie was your first big TV job, what did it mean to you to get the role of Dee-Dee?
Playing Dee-Dee has meant a lot to me. I absolutely love the character and I love that she has faith because I have faith being a Christian myself. It also means a lot being a black Northerner, getting to play a black Northern woman and that she is so multi-faceted being so smart and headstrong but also having a vulnerable side. Getting this role has been such a huge learning curve for me and I’m just really grateful to the people who have supported and championed me along the way.
Who have been your favourite Corrie female icons over the years?
I would have to say Sue Nicholls, she’s always been such an icon to me and I’ve always loved Audrey. She’s always been so glam, fun and exciting and Sue is even more brilliant in real life! She’s such a kind and warm woman. I remember when I came for my audition and was sitting in the reception, a few cast members had walked past but when Sue walked past I was screaming in my head “Oh my god, it’s Audrey!” So, Sue is definitely up there with one of my favourite Corrie female icons. What a career she’s had and what a fabulous story she has told.
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