The Incomparable Kylie Platt

“Just do one, eh? All I did was save some poor kid from ending up with a mother like you.”

Kylie Turner’s first line was uttered from behind a door that wasn’t hers in a house she pretended was while mid-onslaught from estranged sister Becky. Having dashed the McDonald’s hopes of adoption on foot of a bad reference, their reunion was not an amicable one, but they would eventually come together to fight for and win Kylie custody of son Max. What a happy ending that would have been, only we probably wouldn’t be here almost six years later describing Kylie as a truly great Corrie character.

Despite getting a second chance after a troubled start in life, Kylie wasn't quite ready to be reformed. Thieving, drinking, sleeping around and neglecting her parental responsibilities, she didn’t exactly endear herself to those around her, and on agreeing to leave Max with Steve and Becky permanently in exchange for £25,000 while she jetted off, you wondered if she had any redeeming qualities.

Of course, she squandered the lot, but, reinvention being one of Kylie's enduring traits, it wasn’t long before she bounced back. Enter ‘Candy’, a cage dancer from Tenerife and, to Gail’s abject terror, fiancée of beloved son David Platt.

David and Kylie instantly proved to be a winning combo who appeared to bring out the best in one another. While I had great sympathy for Becky and Steve at the time, David was the driving force behind regaining custody of Max, and proved himself to be a good father, while Kylie showed her sensitive side through revealing her fears about her ability to be a suitable mother.

Kylie began to progress, first with her nail bar and then at the Bistro. For the first time in her life, she felt she had the potential to succeed, which is why David’s insistence that they have a baby wasn’t exactly welcome. On learning that another child wasn’t what she wanted at that time, David publicly humiliated her and she ended up in bed with Nick. The sympathy I felt for Kylie here was a testament to the advancing depth of her character.

Pregnancy, blackmail, a hate campaign and a brain injury followed. Kylie began to realise just what her husband and confirmed father of daughter Lily was capable of, and it scared her. While she thought she could keep him away, resistance was futile as he wormed his way back into the Platt fold, and she ended up turning to drink to cope until Max nearly had an accident, and she came to her senses. This reconciliation with David would prove short lived, as Max being diagnosed with ADHD would lead to Kylie taking his pills to cope with the stress, the discovery of which disgusted David. But things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Enter Callum Logan. Kylie may have wished to find out if there was anything in Max’s father's family history to explain his diagnosis, but her enquiries didn’t end there, as she turned to him to supply her with the drugs she was now lacking, leading her to be thrown out altogether by David.

Returning months later begging forgiveness, David agreed to pretend he and Kylie were back together, knowing it was the only way to stop Callum taking Max. This, of course, lead to them reuniting yet again, and being stronger than ever. 

Kylie really came into her own over this past year, proving without a doubt that those she loves really are everything to her as she tried to stop Callum’s increasing power over her family take hold. From tricking Bethany into dealing drugs to seducing Sarah and doing everything in his power to take Max, he was a force to be reckoned with, even if he was one of the campest villains to hit the cobbles.

The fact that Kylie had finally reached maturity and proven herself redeemed, makes it all the more tragic that she would be the one to kill Callum.  Her horror at David’s calm demeanour and apparent ability to cope with the secret buried beneath the annex, and the aftermath, is evidence of her strong conscience. 

In recent episodes, we’ve watched her pain at seeing Sarah and Bethany suffer the consequences of her actions, and her attempts to hold it all together by being there for everyone. Her guilt has been buried for the sake of others, but there’s no doubting it has been there from the start. Moving into the annex appears a step too far, however, and following a sleepless night, and hearing the terrified screams of Max after being locked into it by Asha Alahan, she decides that moving to Barbados is the only solution if she is to be the parent Max needs, claiming she can’t be that mother as long as they stay in Weatherfield.

When you look back at her first line, it’s actually rather poignant in hindsight. Of course, we could never have known it at the time, but all she wants now is for Max to have the mother he deserves. Considering her past misdemeanours, this motivation is a testament to how far she has come.

I’ve enjoyed seeing the inimitable character of Kylie progress over the years in the exceptionally capable hands of Paula Lane who I've had the pleasure of interviewing her on a couple of occasions. I wish her the very best as she embarks on a new chapter in her life.

While the scenes surrounding Kylie's departure remain a mystery, and I look forward to seeing them tonight, one thing we can be sure of is that Kylie will be a great loss to the Street.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites

Watch Kylie's first scene on Corrie.
Read my interviews with Paula Lane in 2014 and 2016.
Find out more about Kylie's time on the cobbles via Corriepedia, a great resource for Corrie fans and bloggers like me who like to have their recollections affirmed when taking trips down memory lane.

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Paula Lane interview

There's a good two part interview on Digital Spy with one of my favourite Corrie actors, Paula Lane who plays Kylie. She talks a bit about Kylie's upcoming storyline where she and David move forward to get Max back.

Paula says she couldn't understand at first how Kylie could be so cold towards Max but has since realized that kids like Kylie that were in and out of care a lot, never had love shown to them so never learned how to show it themselves. Now that Kylie has a husband and support network, she just might have the confidence to raise Max.

We've seen this with Becky, too, as she's learned to have more confidence in herself through the support of the Croppers and then Steve. Becky still has that self destructive side and Kylie will probably not lose her edge either.


The main interview is here with a link at the bottom to the second part.

The many faces of Gail McIntyre

In what has been a fairly strong week for Corrie, one of the highlights has to be last night’s opening scene with Gail singing along to Katy Perry’s Firework.

The whole breakfast scene at the Platt household was stellar but Helen stole the show with her rendition of the song, which was rather fitting song choice considering the fight which broke out only moments later between Kylie and Becky.

Gail has been having a lot of screen time over the past few weeks and a lot of it has been sulking about David and Kylie so it was nice to see the more comical side of Gail which is often overlooked.

That said, we got to see Gail’s caring side earlier in the week as well when she comforted poor Kylie over little Max, so I love the way the show is using Gail at the moment. I know she’s not always the most popular character amongst viewers but I’ve always been a fan of Gail and I hope we see more of her like we have this week because when given the chance she can do so much more than be at David’s beck and call.

Paula Lane's not a bad girl

There's a lovely interview with Paula Lane in the Daily Star today. She talks about her character on Corrie, Kylie and says how much fun Kylie is to play. In reality, she declares she's much more emotional and sensitive than hard-as-rocks Kylie but reckons Kylie is like she is due to her rough upbringing. She's all about money-grubbing because she didn't have any growing up.

Paula tells us that Kylie and David are in lust rather than love and the idea of the salon is part of the attraction for Kylie. She talks about tonight's wedding, including the red basque she wears as something that was bought to wind up the mother of the groom. She doesn't say whether she thinks Kylie and David will go the distance but she herself has been happy with her long term boyfriend, someone she's been with since her teens (she's now 25).

I, for one, am happy to see Paula Lane stick around for awhile, and shall enjoy tonight's wedding and all future Kylie antics. I think Paula Lane is wonderful!

Praising Paula Lane

While watching Kylie's antics last week, and then seeing her show a vulnerability that we don't see from her too often. She broke down when telling Gail about her childhood and then asked Becky to come to the wedding. When she was rejected, you could see the wall go back up firmly. More and more I am loving to hate Kylie and that's down to Paula Lane's amazing performance. Read more about it over here. I'm really looking forward to this week's episodes in the run up to the wedding on Friday, too!

Double wedding, double fiasco?

The Wedding of the ...er...week is nearly upon us. Next Friday will see us waiting with bated breath at the registry office along with two grooms, wondering if their brides will show up. In David's case, it just might be true because Gail has offered her daughter-in-law to be £1000 to dump Dave and get out of Weatherfield.

Xin will show up, because she badly wants to stay in the country but will the wedding go through? Will Graeme's innate honesty let him take those vows? Will Norris, who's discovered the secret, be the objector when the Registrar says "Does anyone here ...." ?

Tony Stewart has an interview with Michelle Keegan and Craig Gazey in the Mirror. Michelle says it's Tina that's getting the collywobbles and Craig says Graeme is scared witless he'll get caught and go down for the illegal scam!

Pics: Kylie's wedding dress

Well, it was never going to be white and frilly, was it? Here's Kylie Turner's wedding outfit for her wedding to David Platt which we'll see on Coronation Street next Friday night, April 8th.  There's a full picture gallery at the official ITV Corrie website here.

More Kylie, less Tracy

Kylie's back and David's got her. Becky is none too pleased, scared that Kylie will make more demands or take Max back when that's probably the furthest thing from Kylie's mind at the moment. She's got bigger fish to fry.

The character of Kylie is that of the muck disturber, the  "beeyatch", and the villain we "love to hate" (well I do, at least). We've already got Tracy for that, you say? But there's a difference. I'd much rather watch Kylie than Tracy and here's why.

Kylie and David: I can't wait!

So, we know now that David's new love is none other than Kylie Turner, Becky's sister. You remember Kylie, the one that blackmailed Becky and Steve into loads of dosh for her little boy, Max? Somehow, she got from Cypress to Teneriffe and was discovered cage dancing in a club David went to.

She obviously got tired of trying to teach that Greek fella English, took the money and ran. Probably went through all the cash as well, which is why she was dancing in a tawdry club, no doubt. The question now is, does she really love David or has he managed to convince her that he's the heir to the kingdom and she's using him as her next meal ticket? We already know they're going to help Xin and Graeme scam immigration with their double wedding. It's probably love on David's part, or at least, what passes for it in his mind. Kylie, being the loose cannon and sly witch that she is, is probably the ideal mate for David and the only one that could finally make him move on from his Tina obsession.

What a pair these two would make, eh? I'm fairly drooling with anticipation at the thought of Gail's face when she finds out and gleefully looking forward to Gail putting up with Kylie over the breakfast table! Between Kylie and David, it's going to be attitude overload. By rights, they should get their own place but David likes his home comforts too much and Gail will never throw him out.

I like Jack P. Shepherd and I like Paula Lane. Both of their characters are a "love to hate" thing for me. I also love Helen Worth and I love Gail even if she can be a miserable old thing. I'm looking forward to the interaction on this storyline.

Two sham weddings on Corrie

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We've already heard that Kylie Turner and David Platt are getting married. There's a story in the News of the World (no link because it's a paid subscription) this weekend that says not only are they getting married but Graeme will be too, but not to Tina!

Seems that Tina's old friend, Xin, needs to marry someone to be able to stay in the country. Tina talks Graeme into the honours, staging a breakup between them and allowing Xin to move into their flat.

Kylie and David's marraige has a lot more to do with Kylie wanting to get her hands on Audrey's salon and they are persuaded to let Graeme and Xin share their wedding day.

All this will lead to Graeme's departure as the lies and pressure of keeping the secrets will push them apart for real.

Paula Lane on playing Corrie's Kylie

There's quite a good interview with Coronation Street actress Paula Lane in The Mirror. She talks a lot about her own background and how it's similar to that of her character, Kylie Turner. Paula's sister had a teenage pregnancy and her own mother was a single mum and struggled to keep her family together though her childhood was happier than Kylie's.

She also just missed out on playing David Platt's girlfriend, Zoe. But she's making up for it as spoilers say she'll be back and very likely walking down the aisle with David!

Paula seems very level headed and very determined to make a real go of acting.

Becky's sister Kylie to be married

There's an interesting story on Holy Soap which says Kylie Turner is going to marry someone who lives on the Street.

Actress Paula Lane has revealed Kylie shocks everyone with a wedding in 2011. She said: "We have a wedding. I can't reveal who it's with but it's involving Kylie. Watch this space. It's going to be fantastic. I didn't see that coming so I think it's going to shock a few people."

Confirming that the wedding is with someone who lives on the Street, she added. "Kylie's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve. It's very clever how it's all going to unfold."

She expects to start filming the plotline in February, and it will be screened in April.

Ooh, I wonder who the groom's going to be?  David?

Kylie has a crack at Steve

Regular reader Gadgee asks if it's true that holy terror Kylie has a crack at Coronation Street's Steve McDonald. That does seem to be the case -I read it in this week's What's On TV. It was the paper edition, dated 11th - 17th September - I can't see anything in the online version at the moment. I'm sure there will be more about this on this blog in the weekly preview, but here's the general gist.

Apparently, Steve finds Kylie nicking money out of Becky's handbag, and Kylie comes on to him as a means of keeping him quiet. Steve threatens to tell Becky, but Kylie says she'll take Max if she goes. We're left with the cliffhanger, "Knowing how attached Becky is to her nephew, will Steve change his mind about spilling the beans?"

Oo-er.

Does the character of Kylie do it for you?

What's your verdict so far on Kylie Turner's character? I know it's very early days but I'm already impressed by the actress, Paula Lane. That's half the battle right there. Kylie is a loose cannon, immature, stroppy and obnoxious. She doesn't quite seem to have that same jaded edge that Becky used to have but perhaps when we met Becky, she was a bit older and had spent more years surviving on the streets. What I also like about Kylie is that she's got a vulnerable side that doesn't appear to be put on for show. She was genuinely upset having to give little Max back to his foster family and really does love the little boy.

Most unlikeable characters have to have something about them that's redeemable for the times when they annoy the heck out of you. Kylie wasted no time zeroing in on Gary and Quinny, flirting and snogging and drinking with them only hours after crying over her son. That kind of behaviour doesn't help make her look responsible enough to get her little boy back. You just know that any job Becky manages to get her will be an uphill climb as far as timekeeping and honesty goes. It's impulsiveness like that which makes her lack of maturity so evident but we tell ourselves that she loves her son, really, so she can't be all that bad. And if the acting is good, if there are nuances and the ability to be believable while you're crying your eyes out in one scene and taunting someone or flirting shamelessly in another, then you are more likely to accept the character, and they may become one that you "love to hate".

The last stroppy sister, Lauren (Violet's sister) was very one dimensional and her constant posturing, posing and petulance was highly annoying. Even Rosie Webster had more depth! Kylie, in a few short episodes, has shown that she has more than one dimension, and can even be sympathetic at times. I think she might just be worth the effort of investing in her character, even should she not be around long time. And if she is, chances are pretty good that she'll soften and grow up a bit eventually. We have heard the spoilers that Becky and Steve will end up with Max. My guess? Becky and Steve will get attached to Max. They may not get to adopt him but the potential is there and there were even rumours that they might pay Kylie for the privilege. But I think Kylie will eventually get custody of him and leave, maybe with a really nice fella in tow and Becky's heart will be broken all over again.

My verdict on Kylie Turner: Win.

More chaos from Kylie

According to Inside Soap, it looks like things will get worse before they get better as far as new addition to Coronation Street, Kylie Turner is concerned. In the next week she's going to be stealing from the Rovers, coming on to her sister's husband and will nearly miss the custody hearing for her son Max after getting drunk with Gary Windass.

As if all that wasn't enough, Paula Lane, who plays Kylie, says that she could end up in one of Corrie's most trouble filled double acts: 'In a scene we filmed recently, Kylie has her sights set on David after Gary gives her the cold shoulder. She's eyeing him up as her next conquest. David and Kylie would be brilliant together - they'd cause havoc'.

I can't wait to see the look on Gail's face if this comes to pass. 

Becky to buy Kylie's baby?

We pondered on the blog the other day about whether Kylie's son Max would end up being taken care of by Becky and Steve.

Well, the Sun today has a Coronation Street spoiler that reckons that Becky's going to buy Max from half-sister Kylie for £30,000. Hmm... wonder where Steve's going to find the cash to pay for that,  then?

And is £30k the going price for a Corrie kid?... it seems to ring a bell as being the same amount that Tracy Barlow wanted from Roy and Hayley for Patience/Amy.

Will Steve and Becky get a child after all?

In today's fab Inside Soap magazine there's an article on the new Coronation Street character played by Paula Lane. Paula plays Becky's half-sister Kylie who brings to Weatherfield her four year old son, Max.  It turns out that little Max has been put in foster care as Kylie was deemend unfit to look after him after she got in with a bad crowd. Becky's concerned and wants to help Kylie get her son back.

So, that's the official story spoiler and now here's what I think (*), having put two and two together in what might well be typical of Soap Plot No. 32.

Steve and Becky can't have a child of their own, they've been turned down by the adoption agency, in comes Becky's relative with a little baby she can't look after on her own.  Put baby and Becky together and Bob's your uncle, problem solved, everyone lives happily ever after.  What do you think? Could it work?

(*) Actually this wasn't my idea, it was our blogger Sunny Jim's!

Video: Becky's sister on Corrie

Becky's sister Kylie joins Coronation Street next week and the official Corrie site at itv.com has a video of Kylie, played by Paula Lane.

Watch the video here.

Kylie joins Corrie

Kylie Turner, Becky McDonald's half sister has been cast, reveals Digital Spy. She'll be played by actress Paula Lane - who left drama school only two years ago.

A show source revealed: "Despite only sharing their mother's blood, Kylie's every bit as full-on as Becky ever knew how to be. Kylie has all the characteristics of the Becky we've seen glimpses of over the years - it's like holding up an age-defying mirror. It doesn't take her long to set her sights on Irish barman Ciaran, either. She's a little firecracker, definitely one to watch!"

Paula began filming as Kylie at Corrie last week and she'll make her screen debut in August. But who will play her son (and Becky's nephew)?