Can we expect Summer down here?
I think so. Hopefully, all the teens down here. I think it’s so normal for kids to go, “Right, you’re coming out, shall we go down the shops?” kind of thing, so I think it’s definitely going to be a bit of a hangout.
What do you think Summer’s favourite shop would be?
Oh, good question. Probably either the charity shop or Sweety Nuff. Can’t go wrong.
Summer’s recently moved in with Amy, Jacob and Aaron – what’s it like filming together in that environment?
So fun. I mean, I got the call to say the next storyline was going to be all of us moving into that flat together. I was straight onto the group chat going, “Guess what, guys!” So we were all buzzing because obviously, we’re all friends outside of work, so it’s so nice to come into work and just be with your mates and know that you’re going to have fun. It’s nice, especially when there’s quite a lot of heartache going on onscreen – it’s nice to know that behind the scenes, you are actually going to have a bit of a laugh.
With everything Summer’s going through, Jacob has her back, but it’s nice that it's strictly platonic, isn’t it?
Exactly, and I think, obviously, you know, in the land of Corrie, it’s very rare that you get that without something going on underneath. But we spoke about it, and I think it is just them, you know, they’re both so in love with Amy - Summer’s best friend and Jacob’s girlfriend, and they have just found this nice little group that… You do in life, don’t you? You find your people. I think he’s just, like, they get on, and they’re probably the least likely friends because you’ve got this straight-A student who’s a bit of a nerd, and Jacob who’s a drug dealer. Like, they would never be friends, but they’ve actually found each other and just get on, and they support each other, and it’s really nice.
Summer’s got her three dads now - what’s that relationship like with Dan, Gareth and Peter?
It’s lovely. It’s really nice because I think you come into a show like this, and you are with the same group of people pretty much day in, day out because it’s who you live with on the street or who you work with, and that’s who you see, and that’s it. So I feel really lucky because obviously, Dan, Gareth and Peter are all lovely, they’re all very funny, and it’s just, like, we all laugh so much on set.
That really translates on screen because you can see you all get along so well.
Oh, good, good. That’s really nice because we do, and I think Summer’s so close to them as well, it’s nice that it’s real. It’s, like, real chemistry.
Is it useful for Summer that she can go to a certain dad for a certain problem?
Yeah, you’ll go to a different one for different things, like in real life. I know what I’d ask my mum and what I’d ask my dad – who will say yes or no, or give me the right advice. And I think it is the same with Summer. You’ve got three very different personalities with Billy, Todd and Paul, so I think she knows who she’s going to go to.
What is Summer’s relationship like with Todd now because it was a bit fraught last year?
It’s funny because me and Gareth were obviously both recasts, and we had to forge a relationship that had existed but was new to us as actors. But we’ve spoken about it, and it’s almost like a sibling energy between them. They can shout at each other and get annoyed and frustrated with each other, but it’s, like, the love between them is so strong as well. I can fight with my sister all day long in real life, but I know she’ll always be there, and I think it’s the same with Todd. I think he’s spent this last year proving himself to Summer and Billy and Paul, and he has earned his place back in the family, I think.
Sophie Williams
Find me on Twitter @sophie_writer1.
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