It's absolute revenge: Interview with Julia Goulding

After finding out from Max about David's prison visit to Clayton and his hiding of her visiting orders – making her feel she was losing her sanity in the process – Shona Platt is incensed. 

Meanwhile, Kit Green's attempts to impress Daisy Midgeley are failing miserably. 

Each with their own troubles, they've somehow ended up spending the night together.

I travelled to Coronation Street Studios for an interview with Julia Goulding who plays Shona to get her take on what's going on for this unexpected  pairing. Those who don't wish to read any spoilers should look away now.

“I never expected Shona to cheat on David,” says Julia. “Eight years they've been together, and she's always been faithful; she's literally never looked at another man. But, she was pushed to it.” She adds, “I'm definitely on her side in all of this.”

Noting everything David has done, including gaslighting her, Julia reckons her cheating is “out of pure revenge. I don't think she's necessarily been lusting after Kit. I don't think he's really crossed her radar –she's probably served him a couple of times in Roy's Rolls. She's very loyal. It's absolute revenge.”

Jack P. Shepherd (David Platt) and Julia reportedly argue in defence of their own characters' actions. “From his point of view, I get it,” she says.“But, I'm not coming from his point of view, I'm coming from mine. He's been using her brain injury against her. And also, sorry, this is not the 1950s; a woman is allowed to make her own decisions and not have her husband hide her mail from her. I definitely think he's in the wrong.”

In tonight's episode, we saw Shona accept Kit's invite to his hotel room without it being clear if anything happened between them for the second time. Asked if she thinks Shona would be capable of embarking on a full-blown affair, Julia says, “Well it depends how good that night was, I suppose. She's obviously tempted, because she goes back to the hotel room. It must have been really good. She pops her anorak on, and off she goes!”

What we did see, however, was Shauna arrive home with an injury, and we're told she was hit by a car after emerging from the hotel, resulting in a fractured arm. This means she has to lie to David who thinks she has slept on the sofa for the night after an argument over what her use of the morning-after pill means. For Shona, it was on foot of her secret night with Kit, while oblivious David interprets it as a sign of her not wanting to have another baby with him when she apparently indicated she did.

Pointing out that Shona isn't someone who generally tells untruths, Julia describes this as “the start of this web of lies that she's spiralling into”

We're told Shona doesn't have any initial concerns about Kit having any secrets to hold against her, as he's nice to her, but that she is perhaps underestimating his ruthlessness.

While she acknowledges that “the brain injury hasn't gone anywhere,” Julia notes that shades of the old Shona are starting to emerge, and says, “It has just been such a joy to play...that fire and that fierceness is back with a vengeance.”

On the pending departure of Gail, Julia says “She's been a constant for Shona, for sure. I think she's feeling nervous because with Gail gone, it could expose a lot more goings on in the family.” In terms of actress Helen Worth leaving the show, Julia says, it was “horrendous” saying goodbye. “It was emotional on so many levels, because from my point of view, personally, I've not only worked with Helen for eight years, I've watched her since I can remember. So Gail's been part of my life since I started watching Corrie, and obviously the last eight years getting to know Helen as a person as well. So, yeah, it was incredibly emotional.”

By Emma Hynes

Read all about my recent trip to Coronation Street in A Rover Returns.

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Corrie Christmas Zoom! We chat to Julia Goulding about Shona's Christmas Wedding!

Last Christmas, Shona’s festive dreams turned into a nightmare, and 2020 has seen the character change beyond recognition. Slowly recovering from trauma, can Shona & David reunite and have a happy new year? 

Back in November, we sat down with actress Julia Goulding, who plays Shona Platt, to talk all about it! 

Q - It has been quite the year for Shona! Has it been fun exploring the new version of the character?

A - Yes, it has and a rare opportunity in soap to play a new version of the character. 

Q- Due to a miscommunication, David tells Shona to accept that their marriage is over. How does Shona feel about that? 

A - I think she’s been slowly falling in back in love with him, and getting to know him again. I think it triggers a miscommunication between them and her new feelings towards him. She struggles with getting her feelings across to him. 

Q - Do you think this is a tipping point between the characters? 

A - Yes! In this last year, it has been the run-up to this final shift of their relationship!

Q - How suspicious is Shona of Daisy (Jenny’s stepdaughter) and her intentions towards David?

A - Fairly! and she doesn’t remember much about Emma, Alina, or when David dumped her in the past. Daisy is beautiful, not got a brain injury nor, does she say things inappropriately. However, the brain injury exaggerates everything for Shona - the threat is there and, she doesn’t know exactly how to feel about it!

Q - David and Shona are due to get back together on Christmas Day and reconcile their relationship. Do you think that ultimately, they are a good match?

A - Yes - they are. I think with everything the couple have come through already, although Shona is a different person, the essence of her is still there, meaning they will always find each other!

Q- Was it nice to play some happiness with Shona this year?

A - Yes. This year been loads of different emotional colours, so to settle again and to feel a little bit more like Shona, to rediscover that, has been a real treat!

Q - What was it like to film Christmas with snow machines being on the street set?

A - I was in awe of the snow machines - having never filmed with one before. I also drove, that was nice, and having a happy story to play at Christmas and working with Jack!

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That is my third press day of 2020 and it ends on a high note! I would say that this year has been a write-off yet writing for the corrie blog has been right on! Keep an eye out for my weekly Wednesday episode reviews!

I wish you all a safe and happy festive period!

I am @rybazoxo your Corrie connoisseur 

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Coronation Street episode review Friday 9 October 2020

A better bag of tricks tonight - the script had some wonderful one-liners and @merseytart has written about them here.  However life is looking up for both Yasmeen and Alya now separated by an essential plastic screen; the latter had the pleasurable tasks of firstly telling Yasmeen about Geoff being locked in Sal's conservatory, secondly joining in Yasmeen's complete release as she laughed (above).

And later in telling Geoff about how they had to explain why they were laughing so much to all the other prison inmates.  Geoff does not seem amused (above).

Shona moves home to the granny flat and continues to be politically incorrect calling Roy a massive weirdo as she thanks him for use of his second bedroom (above).  No doubt Nina will be glad to get her bed back!  David prepares a lasagne to welcome his wife home.  Gail is rather more concerned about her recently uncovered grandson.  Shona is not sure how so many people fit in the house (and we choose not to think about it).  Apparently Huw Edwards plays right wing for City.

Scott returns, apparently having lost his job at the start of the episode, then after Dev is mysteriously burgled whilst out of the shop for five minutes, Scott is flashing the cash in Emma's direction as a donation towards the Ollie fighting fund leading Johnny to think that the mysterious burglar might be Scott.  Scott winds him up for a while before admitting that he has had an advance on his new job - whatever that might be (above).  Johnny does not believe that Scott is a reformed character.

Much of the entire hour is taken up by Eileen's mysterious burglar who left a note to his Mum!  Yes Todd is back and wants to meet Eileen in strange lorry park.  About 2 minutes after they meet a dodgy skinny individual suddenly appears breaking up the far from warm family re-union.  Now I don't want to carp (yes I do).  Mick Chaney, the gangster, is not well dressed but has lookouts at Manchester Piccadilly (a main line railway station) watching the comings and goings and spotted Todd on his return to the City.  And yet when the "successful businessman" (above) arrives at a car park meet without a single bodyguard, henchman, sidekick or apparently a firearm and then allows Todd to grab a large chunk of wood and knock him down.  Well Mick wants Todd dead - Todd stole some of his laundered money.

In other sad events the Oliver story meanders.  Having been summarily dismissed on Wednesday Leanne summons Nick back to the hospital - she does need his presence but refuses to cope with a step-son.  As previously mentioned we had to say farewell to a daughter with a genetic disorder and have been there (without the stepson complication).  I hope that those who advised on this storyline are happy at the portrayal as I am not.  I am sorry but I feel that Leanne has been unfair to the medical staff and those around her more than once.  She would serve Oliver's best interests by listening and understanding.  I don't blame Jane Danson - but when handed the scrag ends it is hard to be realistic.

Due to physical distancing neither Todd (mysteriously missing his permanent life changing scar on his cheek - above) or Eileen actually bother to check if the gangster supremo is alive or dead and do a runner before standing outside a garage chatting for hours.  Apparently there is a dead body in a mortuary which Craig wants Eileen to identify so she agrees with Todd that she will confirm the body is Todd and therefore the arch gangster will stop chasing Todd and with a single skip he will be free from the menace of the nasty man.  [Hang on a minute - didn't the poor body die before Todd was seen in the car park with Eileen - the police might believe her lies {let's face it Sarah-Lou got away with some real crackers recently} but nasty head honcho gangster (and to be honest he did not look very gangsterish - more an unwashed unshaven deadbeat to me) knows that Todd was alive after the corpse died].  I think they need a better plan.

To cheer us all up we actually have Jenny and Johnny both on duty in the Rovers and 12 bottles of wine to trial - which enable Emma and the returning Evelyn to sample a case of wines alongside Jenny with the latter becoming more inebriated as the day wears on.  Above Johnny has said that proper connoisseurs spit it out on test - but Jenny observes that they do not know how to enjoy themselves!  Jenny then has to train Emma in not using the word "nice"; a wonderfully gentle sidestep from drama aided by the Return of Evelyn (the wonderful new theatrical Dame - replacing Dame Emma in the National Treasure firmament!).  I suspect Corrie Comicals could be coming back!  And the toe-rags who did over the Corner Shop get caught trying to break into Greggs and Johnny has to accept that it was not Scott.  Apparently the "Pilot" wine was good (Pinot?).

I will be back in a couple of weeks - and in the meantime let us hope that some of the patent nonsense gets knocked out of the stories whilst Jenny and Evelyn have regular wine tasting sessions!

Written by Damon Alexis-Rochefort and directed by Neil Alderton.

Kosmo

@Kosmo100

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Shona’s New Normal! Corrie blog interview with Julia Goulding

I think we can all agree that last Christmas seems like a lifetime ago, now. A lot has happened and the world has turned upside down. A ‘new normal’ is something we are all aiming towards, and in the world of Weatherfield, Shona Ramsay is also returning to a new normal following her festive shooting, coma, and brain injury! In the second part of this three-part Autumn ‘Back to Six’ press day, we interviewed actress Julia Goulding who told us all about playing the new version of Shona Platt!

Q - Tell us how it’s been playing the ‘new’ Shona?

A - It has been a lot of fun! It’s very rare to suddenly play a completely different character in a long-running soap. We’ve done a lot of research about brain injuries but we learnt that the symptoms are malleable. At first, with her remembering absolutely nothing, and where we are now in filming, what we will see on screen is post-lockdown and she’s got to know the family again. Now we are in post lockdown and she’s not got a filter, that can get her into all kinds of trouble. As serious as the injury is, we are now able to have a little bit of fun with it. 

Q - How do you get into the mindset of playing her, now?

A - It’s really strange, actually. It’s so hard to not slip back into character like I was before. Even when we are on the studio floor and filming with the director, I keep having to remind myself that Shona doesn’t know the Platt family history, so to work based on no knowledge of any of that, it’s quite refreshing but its also been quite hard. In terms of the character, the writing kind of speaks for itself and its been so good. 

Q- Do you enjoy playing the new Shona? 

A - It's weird because we are now living in this new normal. Post lockdown and everything, and it is kind of like I’m getting used to playing the new Shona as well, so I don’t know. When I’ve been playing her a bit longer I’ll be able to give you a better answer.

Q - Do you think she still loves David or is it because, deep down, she still wants to? 

A - She genuinely has no recollection of him nor the love she felt for him. It’s very much about getting to know each other again, and learning who he is, and falling back in love with him. We are starting to see a return to that a bit. David hasn’t changed so she can fall back in love with him again quite easily, its just Shona that has changed so its harder for him to fall back on love with her, actually. She’s changed but he hasnt. 

Q - If things didn’t work out for David and Shona, is there anybody else you could see her with?

A - At the moment, no not really!  I have said before, in previous interviews, that I would love to work more with Sally Carmen (Abi) whether that would be a relationship or best mates, they are quite similar characters, but I think Shona is made for David. 

Q - Can you tease us on what’s coming up in the next few weeks? We have heard that there may be a sinkhole appearing in the Platt back garden...

A  - Yeah! So, Shona’s been developing a really good relationship with Nina, Roy’s niece, and they are living together and things. They head over to the Platt’s for a BBQ and Shona is obsessed with Lilly’s trampoline, she just wants to bounce on it, and she’s really frustrating David. They head back inside, and all of sudden they hear this massive rumble. Heading back into the garden, there is some mild intensity and they suddenly see this huge gaping sinkhole appear. Shona is completely non-plussed by it though! 

In our next we interview we chat to Sally Carmen about her alt ego Abi battling drug addiction and her relationships with Kevin, and possibly, Peter?

I am @rybazoxo your cobbles connoisseur

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