Could Stephen do the unthinkable?
Super Soap Week on Coronation Street has already been an epic one, with Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) left for dead, and Stephen Reed (Todd Boyce) evading justice for his many, many crimes.
But the action is only going to get more intense over the week, and tonight’s episode (Wednesday 11th October) will be an even more dramatic one.
This time, it’s Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) who’s in danger when she confronts her own son about stealing from her.
Audrey can barely believe her golden child could steal the equity in her house, but as we know all too well, Stephen is hiding many a secret, all of which are due to be exposed this week.
Confronting him and demanding answers, how will Audrey react when Stephen turns the tables and points out all her failures as a mum?
What’s more, with Stephen desperate and with nothing left to lose, could he do the unthinkable and murder his own blood?
Ahead of the exciting instalment of Coronation Street, Nicholls caught up with press including RadioTimes.com to spill the beans on how Audrey’s Super Soap Week will go.
Do you think there’s been any doubts in Audrey’s mind about Stephen?
No she hasn’t had any doubts about him at all, that is what is so hard for her hearing all these things that he has supposedly done. She’s so wrapped up with being so proud of him. She has been caught up in the fact that he has led such a glamorous life and she has boasted about him to everyone.
How can she possibly believe what people are saying about him? But she has to listen to what Sarah is saying about the equity in the house. Sarah had told her it was a scam when all along she knew Stephen had taken the money and now she has come clean to Audrey, it is very upsetting for her as this is the second time her family have conned her out of money.
What is different about her relationship with Stephen and her relationship with Gail?
They’re two very different relationships. It is all about the glamour that Steve has brought into her life, whereas with Gail and family that are there is that rather terrible thing of taking them for granted. And you know, Gail’s lovely, she’s a warrior, she just wants the family to be alright. She’s a fusser and that’s totally different to how Stephen is.
In a way, it is terribly awful and rude of Audrey because Gail’s the one that possibly keeps her family going. But Audrey just sees all that as ordinary. An ordinary day is a boring day today for Audrey, so I like that Stephen, and his lifestyle, sort of taps into that flighty Audrey that we very first met when I joined the show. She was all about the glamour and how she looked and all of that.
Does she also feel guilt at giving him up?
Absolutely. She tells him that. She was very young when she had him and she was forced to give him up by her father and she has regretted it every day of her life, but she had no choice. It wasn’t acceptable to be a single mum in those days.
That is why she makes such a fuss of him and in her eyes he can do no wrong. She is trying to make up for what she did. Their relationship is very complex in that respect.
What happens when she goes to confront him in tonight’s episode?
She arrives at the flat to confront him about the house money and discovers Stephen and Peter arguing and Peter has clearly attacked Stephen. Although she is angry with Stephen herself, she has no idea why Peter is attacking him.
If she hadn’t got there, I am sure Peter would have killed him. She hears Peter being very aggressive to Stephen and in typical Audrey fashion she tells him to shut up. Stephen is relieved she turned up but then she makes it very clear she has a come for answers and knows about the money.
How does she feel when he turns it on her?
She is shocked, he says that he has always felt abandoned and has always felt the need to prove himself. Audrey tries to explain but those words are going to really hit her hard in the coming weeks.
He has been very cruel, knowing what he has done and that the truth will come out about that and knowing that he has landed all that guilt on his mother. But she is determined to make him hear her out and she won’t allow him to leave the flat.
We see Audrey blocking his way out of the flat. Does she realise the danger she is putting herself in?
No, she just thinks he has conned her out of her money, she doesn’t know he has killed people. He is her son and she wants answers from him about why he stole from her.
Of course, what she doesn’t know is that the family are now looking for her as they have discovered the murders and everyone is very frightened for her safety. What they find when they break into the flat makes them even more worried for her safety and they call the police.
What was it like filming those scenes with Todd?
It was wonderful as he is such a joy to work with. It was a moment that needed to happen, Audrey needs to know what sort of person her son is but when she eventually finds out about the extent of what he has done she really behaves in a very strange way.
She knows what he has done but he has got into her head and she feels as though she is responsible.
Do you think she will go into denial about what he has done to her and others, even though there is no denying what he has done?
Yes, we will see her start to lash out a bit and blame others for his actions. That deflection is how she is coping with what her son has done. The alternative is that she blames herself and that is just too much for her to deal with.
The family are incredibly worried about her because her reactions are irrational, she is on the attack with everybody. She is even sticking up for him despite what he has done to her.
So, thinking back over other villains, how does he [Stephen] compare to other ones?
Each villain has been so different and each of them were right for their time. I worked on the Richard Hillman storyline and that was so over the top and fantastic and the story was brilliant. This one has also been done so well.
It takes brilliant actors to portray these sort of characters, and it doesn’t matter how outrageous the stories are, the viewers love them and so do I. People remember villains, they are stories and characters that stand out from the ordinary.
I remember the reaction to Alan Bradley played by my wonderful husband Mark, people loved to hate him, he was almost a starter for all the ones that have come along since. People talk about villains long after they have gone and that is credit to the actors who bring them to life.
We always get the right people and it was the right decision to go down that road with Stephen. What is sad is that once you know someone is a villain, you also know that they will have to go.
Do you think what happens this week is going to make the family stronger or is it going to cause problems?
I am interested to know what will happen and how they are going to respond to Audrey’s reaction to his crimes.
Audrey is bewildered, the family know that Stephen is the baddie and the fact that his mother is not on that wavelength is a real worry to them, especially with everything that has happened with her over the past couple of years.
They could lecture her and try to make her see sense, but actually they know that isn’t going to help.
Read more:
- 4 Coronation Street spoilers next week: Lauren blackmails Ryan and Daisy over fling
- Coronation Street’s Joe Duttine on Tim’s danger from Stephen
- Sally Dynevor teases Coronation Street’s exposing of Stephen’s crimes amid danger for Tim
- Coronation Street producer: Killer Stephen Reid’s “chickens come home to roost”
- Coronation Street boss teases “huge consequences” after Stephen’s downfall
Coronation Street airs weeknights on ITV. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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