{"id":24704,"date":"2022-10-27T22:00:56","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T20:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1729388"},"modified":"2022-10-27T22:24:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T20:24:14","slug":"coronation-street-confirms-max-turner-to-be-groomed-by-extremists","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/coronation-street-confirms-max-turner-to-be-groomed-by-extremists\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronation Street confirms Max Turner to be groomed by extremists"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 27 October 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Coronation Street has announced a radicalisation storyline, which will see Max Turner (Paddy Bever) groomed by a far-right gang.<\/p>\n

The ITV soap will be exploring the issue of the grooming of disenfranchised and impressionable young men into far-right extremism in the controversial storyline, examining how extremist groups target, groom and operate.<\/p>\n

In upcoming scenes,\u00a0Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) confronts eco activist Griff (Michael Condron<\/a>) and his gang when he discovers the band they\u2019ve invited him to watch are playing racist songs.<\/p>\n

Toyah, meanwhile, unaware that Spider is an undercover cop who has infiltrated the gang to expose their activity, confronts Spider about the company he is keeping.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Paddy Bever as Max Turner in Coronation Street. Danielle Baguley\/ITV<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>Max\u2019s journey into radicalisation begins the following week, when Griff turns his attention to the teenager and defends him from school bullies, before inviting him to a Halloween party at his house.\n

In the coming months, Max rapidly falls under Griff and the gang\u2019s spell, who harness the teenager\u2019s video and computer skills to spread their racist propaganda.<\/p>\n

Speaking about the storyline, Coronation Street<\/a> producer Iain MacLeod said: \u201cOverall, Max\u2019s story is one about the grooming of a vulnerable teenager at a point where he\u2019s feeling most alienated and disenfranchised.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe story will encompass the \u2018traditional\u2019 recruitment techniques of extremists groups, and we\u2019ll see Max befriended in person by older, mentor-like figures that will give him a sense of loyalty and brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThen, later in the story, we will explore a very 21st century problem: teenagers self-radicalising through watching extreme content online. In the end, we wanted this to be a story about communication within families \u2013 what are the right and wrong ways to talk to younger family members who are gravitating towards extreme views?<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the conclusion of the story, David\u2019s misjudged attempts to deal with Max will drive the narrative to a shocking and thought-provoking climax.\u201d<\/p>

Counter Terrorism Policing\u2019s senior national coordinator Tim Jacques said: \u201cCoronation Street has a long history of raising awareness of challenging issues that sit at the heart of communities across the UK. Sadly, the terrorist threat remains one of those very real concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur casework shows that children and young people are vulnerable to radicalisation and are increasingly being drawn into toxic ideologies through online spaces and platforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope Max\u2019s story will help to highlight why it\u2019s so important to get support or advice if you\u2019re worried someone you love is taking a dangerous path. It really doesn\u2019t have to be that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are concerned that someone you know might be being radicalised, you are not alone. There is advice and support available via www.actearly.uk<\/a>.\u00a0If you\u2019ve seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, trust your instincts and report it. Your actions could save lives. Report via www.gov.uk\/ACT<\/a> or call 0800 789 321.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n