The character opened up about her mental health struggle.
**This article includes references to suicide that some readers may find upsetting.**
Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) shocked her close friends in tonight’s Coronation Street (15th August), as she made an upsetting admission in one of the soap’s most poignant and moving episodes this year.
Pals Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox), Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Roy Cropper (David Neilson) took Audrey out for afternoon tea and at first, the group shared a lot of laughs together. They spotted Ken’s ex Claudia Colby (Rula Lenska) rowing with fellow Still Waters resident Charles, and Audrey and Ken wondered whether Claudia had been seeing Charles while she was dating Ken.
This led to a spying mission with hilarious results. Rita revealing herself through the plant leaves was a particular highlight – along with a certain confession about her love life!
But as Claudia joined them for a drink and a chat, it wasn’t just Rita revealing secrets. The series of revelations prompted Audrey to tell her friends that she had tried to end her own life just three weeks ago. Viewers will remember that, shortly after her birthday meal with the family, we saw Audrey in a hospital bed where a doctor probed her about the amount of sleeping tablets she had taken.
Audrey was referred to Dr Gaddas who prescribed anti-depressants, but Audrey was not keen and still didn’t confide in daughter Gail (Helen Worth) and the rest of the clan.
But the nature of the ongoing conversation at the hotel made Audrey feel brave enough to speak up. Unfortunately, the moment coincided with the arrival of a cake to belatedly celebrate her birthday. Silence descended over the characters as they took in Audrey’s words, and eventually she revealed that a nosey neighbour had saved her life on the day she took an overdose.
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She explained that she was lonely and missing her late husband Alfie who she had hoped would grow old and “doddery” with her. Rita, Ken and Roy sympathised and encouraged Audrey to talk to her loved ones, but she was still reluctant. So later, with Claudia leaving in the hope that Audrey would feel able to speak more freely, the trio listened as Audrey opened up further and eventually promised to start taking the anti-depressants.
Rita, Ken and Roy privately vowed to be there for Audrey as much as possible, while Audrey headed to her old salon that her family had leased for her, feeling like a weight had been lifted.
As Coronation Street treated us to a nostalgic voiceover of Alfie gifting Audrey the salon all those years ago, Audrey took one of her new tablets. She then kissed her wedding ring, declaring: “There’s life in the old girl yet, Alfie love!”
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Read more:
- Coronation Street’s Audrey Roberts to reveal suicide attempt
- What’s wrong with Coronation Street’s Audrey as she hides new secret?
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