Top 5 Redeemed Characters in Coronation Street

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog January 2018, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Guest blog post by Tiffany Bowman who is on Twitter: @TiffanyZBowman

There are always characters we root for despite their despicable acts, and Coronation Street is no different. In light of recent news, it looks like there won’t be a redemption arc for Pat Phelan. 

However, every now and then some characters do address their troubled ways and make it through to the other side. 

Here are my top five redeemed characters:

1. Tracy Barlow
From bumping off her boyfriend to committing arson, Tracy has always been at the forefront of drama. And whilst there’s very little she hasn’t done to upset her neighbours, it’s nice to see the character going in a new direction. Since striking up a friendship with Mary and reuniting with Steve, we’ve seen a different side to Tracy which is refreshing.

2. Daniel Osbourne 
Daniel is another troubled member of the Barlow clan. He tried to kill off Ken when he discovered that he played a part in persuading his girlfriend to terminate their baby. He also terrorised Chesney by threatening to steal his girlfriend. However, Daniel took a huge U-turn when he realised how far he had pushed Chesney, and has since rekindled his relationship with his Dad. 

3. David Platt
Once known as “The Demon Barber of Coronation Street,” David has caused a lot of trouble in the past, particularly to his own family. He sent cards to Gail from her dead husband, he was responsible for his 7-year-old niece ingesting ecstasy tablets, and he even pushed his own Mother down the stairs! But things seem to have settled down since he got with Shona, grew a beard and inherited a dog.  He’s due to be at the heart of a major storyline next month, which will surely see him evolve further. 

4. Gary Windass
Gary’s come a long way since he arrived on the cobbles. From assaults to robbery to infidelity, he often found himself on the wrong side of the law and was no stranger to fights. It was only when he returned from Afghanistan that we began to see a more sensitive side to him. Ironically, he’s supported the Platts on various occasions recently, despite his previous feud with David. He was an ally for Bethany when she was taking diet pills, and he heroically saved Lily from being hit by a car.

5. Gemma Winter
Gemma played a significant part in helping Callum terrorise the Platts when she first appeared on the street. From blackmailing Bethany into providing a false alibi, to helping bundle David into the boot of a car, there wasn’t much Gemma wouldn’t do to help Callum. But since then, she has changed her wicked ways, becoming a regular favourite on the cobbles. She bravely testified against Kylie Platt’s killer and supported Rita through her recent illness. 

Guest blog post by Tiffany Bowman who is on Twitter: @TiffanyZBowman

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Which Corrie ginger would you most like to kiss?

Today, January 12th was Kiss a Ginger Day.  It must be real, it's on twitter.

Our blogger Graeme, a red-head himself, wrote a blog post In Praise of Corrie's Red-Heads.   

So, which Coronation Street ginger would YOU must like to kiss?  For me, it would have to be the rather lovely Mikey North, who plays Gary Windass.  Mwah!

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers  

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook 

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Mikey North interview: Gary discovers Bethany's lapdancing secret

Does Gary have any suspicions that Bethany has been trying to keep him and Sarah apart?
Gary thinks that Sarah is just ignoring him and rightly so, he’s not got a leg to stand on. It’s a genuine thing that he doesn’t suspect anything.

Why does Gary follow Bethany?
Gary is chatting to Tim on the street and the girl who had been chatting him up at the Rovers go past in a car. Gary sees the girl is with Bethany and immediately thinks that something isn’t right but he’s not sure what. He follows the car to the lapdancing club.

What’s Gary’s first thoughts when he realises that Bethany is working there?
He is shocked, he is not expecting to see her there and the last thing he expects is to see her dancing! It’s a big surprise when he walks in and sees her scantily clad.

Tell us what happens next. 
Gary tries to get Bethany to come home but she doesn’t like that and wants to stay. Bethany calls the bouncer to step in and he does so in a quite forceful way. Gary tries to resist a little bit which doesn’t help… the bouncer goes to town on him.

How badly hurt is Gary?
He is really smashed up, he is badly, badly beaten up. It’s the last thing that he needs with everything else going on.

What is Craig’s reaction when he sees that Gary has been beaten up?
Craig is surprised, he doesn’t even want to let on that he knows Gary at first but then he runs over and tries to help.

What happens then?
Gary goes to hospital and Sarah comes to see him which is nice for Gary and unexpected for him to see her there. Sarah apologies that Gary is always getting beaten up because of her family - there’s a little bit of a moment there where things soften slightly.

Do you think that Sarah should forgive Gary? Do you think that they are a good match?
It is a tricky one because I love Sarah and Gary together and working with Tina O’Brien and The Platts has turned my time around at Coronation Street. But how can you forgive someone who has done what Gary has done, it is an inexcusable thing. So it’s tough but, for me, it’s great that they may get back together…

What were the fight scenes with the bouncer like to film?
I remember a time when Gary used to give out the beatings but now he seems to be taking them! I have done a few fights down the years now playing the character that I play but I enjoy doing the fight scenes. And it takes time in makeup to put Gary’s battle scars on, the initial beatings took 45 minutes every morning. So less of a lie-in for me but the makeup team did a great job.

What has been the viewers reaction about Gary and Sarah’s relationship? Did you get a lot of people reacting to when Gary cheated with Nicola?
You can’t cheat on Sarah Louise Platt, nobody would do that, but Gary doesn’t do things the normal way. It’s great because people seem to love Gary and Sarah together which is a compliment and it’s nice that we might be working together again. It is a shame that the perfect romance was spoilt but it gives us a great branch of other storylines so it has been good.

What advice would you give Gary in this situation?
Don’t do it again!

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Tina O'Brien interview: Sarah's shock news about Gary

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


When’s Sarah’s first thoughts when she gets the call from Joe?

Sarah doesn’t believe it. She thinks there has been a mistake or that it is someone else because, although she’s upset, she feels like if it was real she would somehow know and she doesn’t feel that overwhelming grief so she has convinced herself that it isn’t true.

In the past she has warned Gary about the dangers of this job, hasn’t she?

Yes, she obviously knew it was very dangerous but this is her worst nightmares confirmed.

What happens next?

David tries to find out some information and he explains that there has been one body found. Sarah thinks that because there were loads of men out there that it still might not be Gary but David explains that they found a St Christopher and that’s when she breaks down because she knows that she gave him a St Christopher just before he left.

What’s her reaction when she hears that news from David?

She’s absolutely devastated, she’s in shock. She thinks it’s the end of the world.

Things were really on the up for Sarah and Gary before this, wasn’t it?

Yes, as far as she was concerned he is the one for her and they were going to get married one day. He was really good to her and seemed to really love her so she was really happy and content.

Sarah and Tim have to break the news to Anna, what happens then?

Anna is beside herself and she feels trapped; she wants to get out, be with Faye and see her family but of course she can’t because she is in prison. She breaks down and has to be held back because she tries to get out of the room that she is in, in her desperate state.

The viewers know that Gary has got Nicola pregnant. Sarah does not know this but David finds out this week and is toying with the dilemma to tell Sarah. How would she react if she did find out?

She would be absolutely devastated because she truly believes that Gary is loyal to her so the fact that he has completely broken that trust and not only slept with someone else but is having a baby with them, that would completely destroy her. She has had a tough time but as far as she is concerned she found someone who is literally her rock so to find out that that was actually a lie, she would be really upset.

It seems that viewers were really rooting for Sarah and Gary, did you see any reactions when he cheated on her with Nicola?

Yes there were loads of tweets saying, “No, Gary, no! What are you doing?” They liked the fact that there aren’t many relationships in the show that are good, solid relationships and Gary and Sarah seemed like a couple who would last so when he did that, he made a lot of people think, ‘Oh for goodness sake!” so that was quite funny. But there were issues there with Gary’s communications with Sarah; he felt like there were certain things that he kept from her and didn’t tell her. Then Nicola comes along who is really understanding and he can open up to her.

Do you think that David should be honest with Sarah when he finds out?

That’s so tough! Under normal circumstances, yes he should be honest with her but the fact that she has just received this news about Gary, why upset her more, why make the pain even worse?

What’s the best thing about working with Jack P Shepherd?

Ah, there’s a few! He is very funny, he is very, very quick and witty. He is very easy to work with because he is a very generous actor.

Have you enjoyed playing the emotional scenes? Has it been challenging?

It has been really hard because it’s a really weird, hard headspace to get into. Obviously I can’t give any secrets away but there are a lot of revelations and a lot of twists and turns in a very short space of time so it was a lot of head gymnastics and getting from one thoughtspace to another. It was a rollercoaster within a space of a week but it’s been such good fun to do.

Tina O'Brien interview: Sarah's shock news about Gary

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Nicola Thorp Interview: Baby bombshell for Gary

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


What’s Nicola’s first reaction when Gary confronts her about her being pregnant?

Nicola completely denies it at first and tells him the dates don’t work and that it must have been her ex boyfriend, Scott’s baby. She is so worried because it was a one-night stand and she recognises what Gary and Sarah have is something really special. She doesn’t want to get in the way or cause harm to their relationship so she throws him off the scent.

Does Nicola have a soft spot for Gary or was it just one night?

Yes, Nicola does have feelings for him but Gary made his really clear. Probably the reason why she doesn’t tell Gary that it is his in the first place is because she cares about him. He opened up to her about his PTSD and his job in Ukraine; she is really attracted to bad lads but she sees him finally getting his life together and she doesn’t want to ruin that for him. Secretly, or maybe it is quite obvious to the audience, she has feelings for him because he is such a strong, caring and protective person and she has not had that in her life recently.

How does the first conversation go between Nicola and Gary?

Gary says that he is relieved, understandably. There is a little bit of sadness from Nicola that he reacted like that because the way that he comes to find her, he finds her address and seeks her out, she finds it quite romantic. She thinks he might have come over to see her again romantically. But when he says he is relieved, Nicola has to put on a brave face. She thinks she has done the right thing at first because she wants to do the best thing for Gary.

Nicola and Gary then have a heated exchange in the street where Nicola tells Gary the truth that he is the father. Why does Nicola change her mind?

Nicola starts to feel guilty about the fact that she has not told Gary the truth because she believes that a child has a right to know it’s father and she is wrestling with the guilt of that, particularly due to her own story of paternity. Her entire life she was lied to about who her real father was - for better or for worse! She knows she doesn’t really want to do that to her child and she doesn’t know how to deal with that.

She tells Gary but is she worried about the rest of the street finding out?

Nicola really doesn’t want Sarah to find out, she wants to be quite respectful despite going to bed with her boyfriend! The other people she is worried about is Gail, Audrey, Bethany - any of the Platts! She is quite scared of them. And also, she wouldn’t want Anna to know she was pregnant but she feels guilty carrying her grandchild without her knowing.

The Platts are quite a family to take on, aren’t they?

They really are, they are quite a strong unit. We will have to see because often people like that can be united by common enemies and particularly with nobody really liking Phelan and Nicola being new to the street. Nicola wants people to like her and she doesn’t really understand why everyone doesn’t like her because of her association with Phelan but she is starting to figure it out bit by bit.

Speaking of common enemies, Nicola is spinning a tangled web with Gary being a Windass and Anna’s son?

Nicola can see there is something that Gary is not telling her about Phelan and this makes her feel even more strongly, the mystery behind this guy and his fire, his temperament. Also, Nicola has suspicions about Phelan and Anna knows the truth about Phelan and they see each other as enemies at the moment but I hope one day they know the truth about each other because I think they would be a formidable force.

Could we start to see a different side to Nicola?

Nicola had every intention of coming to Weatherfield and being quiet and getting on with her own life but now everything is starting to unravel. This safe social worker who is quite nice and doesn’t want to get involved in drama - the moment that Gary kisses her is the moment that changes everything for her.

Has it been good to play such dramatic storylines so early on in the role?

Nicola is so much fun to play and to be stuck in at the deep end. Everyone has made me feel so welcome on the street and so safe to try stuff out. I feel like I am given full rein to play Nicola fully and I’ve had some really big emotional scenes with lots of crying. This pregnancy storyline has been really fun to play with incredible actors. I love Connor to pieces because he is the one that brought me in and now I am getting to work with Debbie Rush and Mikey North.

What’s the best thing about working with Mikey North and Debbie Rush?

Debbie is hilarious and we care about our storylines so much and being true to our characters. Mikey North, we get on really well and love having a laugh on set. He’s made me feel like one of the lads... or I’ve made him feel like one of the lads.

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

I can't wait to see what happens

When  I'm watching Coronation Street, There are storylines that really engage me. I watch with relish. I speculate. I anticipate. I wait for the next thing that's going to happen. I really look forward to seeing some things such as...

Phelan is now a murderer. He will be taken down and will have to face the music.
I can't wait.

Will his vendetta against Anna ultimately be his downfall? Or will he kill her? Maybe he will and then get caught. And if Anna gets stitched up and goes to jail or gets killed, how will that affect Faye? And what about Seb? However it comes out...
I can't wait!

Nicola is having Gary's baby. Sarah will have to find out at some point because these things never stay secret for long. I like Gary and Sarah together, and I don't think Gary and Nicola suit as well. So what's going to happen when this all hits the fan?
I can't wait!

Rita finds out tonight if the tumour operation was a success. I've got a good feeling  about this. But she sold her flat to that odious Colin so she'll still have to contend with that. Surely her being under the influence of a brain tumour is a legal enough reason to back out of the contract. Come on Adam, you're slithery. You can sort it out.
I can't wait!

Mary's finally got the family she always wanted but it's off to a very rocky start. There's a lot more going on between she and Angie than she realizes with Angie having trouble bonding with baby George and upset that her new mother-in-law seems to be taking over ably. Poor Jude is getting stuck between a rock and  a hard place. Her new BFF, Toyah, is a councillor, maybe she'll be a help?
I can't wait.

Sally is now the mayor of Weatherfield so she's the Lady Mayor, right? What does that make Tim? He can't be the Lord Mayor. He's kind of like Prince Philip in that respect. The wife of a King is a Queen but the husband of the Queen isn't always the King. Anyway,  Surely there will be a lot of conflict when she needs Prince Tim by her side at formal functions. If last week's episodes are anything to go by, she's going to have to make sure she doesn't let politics overrun her family life. She did say she needed to keep her priorities straight. Someone's going to have to keep her grounded. I hope we get to see a bit of Sally the Politician and see her be successful at it.
I can't wait!

The factory is in ruins. Will it ever rise like a phoenix again? Surely it will.
I can't wait!

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

5 Corrie couples who are great together

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Yesterday I wrote a blog post about 5 Corrie couples who shouldn't be together. You can read it here.

Today, on a brighter note, it's the turn of those Coronation Street couples that are great together.

Sally and Tim. My favourite couple at the moment. Comedy, class warfare, clean windows and snobbery - what's not to like? Tim is the perfect down-to-earth foil for Sally and her high and mighty dreams. A perfect Corrie couple.

I love, love, love Sarah Platt and Gary Windass together. Mind you, I'd still much prefer Gary and Izzy to get back together but as that doesn't appear to be on the cards any time soon, not with Nicola's baby on the way, then it's going to be interesting to see how Sarah and Gary play out. Will she dump him when she finds out about Nicola? And she will find out, won't she? This is soap after all.

Steve and Leanne. The Corrie couple who never were together, not really, but they proved in that short period of time that they could be awesome as a two-some. Come on, Corrie, put these two together and get them running the Rovers with Liz behind the bar.
.

Beth and Kirk. Warm, funny, common as muck and they love each other so much as well as their family and friends. Always a delight.

Billy and Todd. Yesterday I included Billy and Todd in my list of 5 Corrie couples who shouldn't be together because I truly believe Todd has the capability to really hurt Billy and break his little heart.  But until (or if) that happens, they really are a joy to watch, especially with the addition of Summer.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your views.

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Mikey North Interview: What's next for Gary Windass?

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog September 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


Gary has been off working in the Ukraine, when he returns this time do we see a different Gary? Is his job starting to take its toll?
I think it’s getting gradually worse, it was clear to see how bad it was from the bruises last time he came home, but you get the impression more things have happened this time. Fresh injuries are appearing from whatever he’s been up to and he’s clearly troubled.

Does Sarah spot this or has he managed to convince her that the job is low risk, it’s good money, and that everything is fine?
She’s probably a little bit wary of it because she knows what’s at stake and it’s a risky job he’s doing but I think he has managed to keep it on the whole away from her mainly, no one really knows what he’s doing and how dangerous it is.

But he can’t keep it away from his mum Anna can he?
He can’t no, he’s brought some presents back for Faye and as he bends over to go in the bag to get them his shirt rides up and his mum spots the injuries on his back. There’s a lot of bruising and so Anna flies of the handle and questions him. Gary sort of comes clean for the first time about what he’s doing, but on the premise that she keeps her mouth shut and doesn’t say anything to Sarah.

So it’s not putting him off carrying on with the work is it?
I think he’d lie to call it a day but it’s hard to go back now he’s done that first job and seen the money. I think his long term plan is to get enough money for a house and then he can move out of Izzy’s to live with Sarah and have all the family under one roof, then he’ll stop.

But as he keeps returning for one more job do you think the stakes will go up?
Yeah things get more dangerous and the inevitable is going to happen I think.

How is Gary’s relationship with Sarah because they want through a rocky patch initially when Sarah didn’t want him to go to the Ukraine?
Gary started drinking a lot when he last came home, probably to block out what he’d been through in the Ukraine. He went out when Sarah was working, which Gary wasn’t too happy about, he was kind of off with her and he was very snappy with her. He went out drinking one night to unwind and that’s when he met Nicola. He confided in her about what had happened in the Ukraine but then he worked out that she was Phelan’s daughter and pulled back, he felt bad that he’d told her a lot, things he hadn’t told Sarah. He felt bad on Sarah so he went and apologised which left things alright between them but he still feels bad that he had opened up to another women. He’s been trying to make it up to Sarah this time but he’s clearly got a lot on his mind and he’s not the same Gary.

So they’re getting back on track but tell us what happens in the Rovers when Gary loses his temper? 
He is on edge the whole time in the Rovers, he snaps at Craig that day as well for no reason, he just starts on him on the street, then he snaps at Tyrone and Kirk in the pub.  Sarah tells him to calm down but he flies off the handle and goes outside. Sarah comes out to see what is wrong with him, he takes offence and he just loses it. He’s really rude to her and storms off.

What do you think is making him feel this way?
For me it’s the PTSD rearing its head from when he was in Afghanistan and I think it’s definitely elements of that coming back, that’s how I have tried to play it, him being very volatile and wanting to start on every lad that walks by. I think the pressures from this work are getting to him and brining a lot of demons back to the fore that he’s worked hard to overcome.

After refusing to talk to Sarah, Gary again finds himself with Nicola and decides to go back to hers for a drink. Why has he found that he can confide in Nicola? 
I don’t think it’s anything in particular, I think it’s just that she happens to be there at the right time. She’s the only person that he’s told exactly what happened in the Ukraine and what he had to do, which is what has triggered all of this, so that is probably one of the reasons that he feels an attachment to her. When he’s in the ginnel after he storms out of the Rovers following his argument with Sarah, Nicola happens to be there, she finds him bleeding and says she will sort out his injury for him.

They then have a few drinks and one thing starts to lead to another, will he cheat on Sarah because we know he does really love Sarah?
It’s a tricky one, he does love Sarah, things are great between them and they are so good together but I suppose in the heat of the moment he isn’t thinking clearly. This isn’t the Gary that’s been around before he went to the Ukraine, this is someone else and I think it’s taken over his mind almost, he’s gone a bit crazy. His judgment is clouded by drink, he’s just had a row with Sarah and he’s not thinking straight.

How does Gary feel when he goes home?
He feels awful that he’s confided in Nicola again and not Sarah. He goes back to Sarah’s house and while he doesn’t come clean about Nicola, he does about what’s happened in the Ukraine, about how dangerous it is and the fact that he’s not been letting on how bad it really is.

Are you enjoying playing this different side to Gary?
I love it. This storyline ties back in with the old Gary for me, which is why I joined the show in the first place, to play that volatile guy. But I think now that you’ve seen a nicer side to him the audience are more sympathetic with him, he’s not just a violent thug that came in with the Windasses, he has a child, he has responsibilities, we’ve seen him be ther for both Sarah and Bethany. For me as an actor it’s great, I’m loving doing this whole story and it’s enjoyable doing something different.

What do you think of Gary’s relationship with Sarah, do you enjoy working with Tina and the Platts, do you think it could be for the long haul?
Yeah I do, they’ve been together for a year and a half now and it’s been probably my most enjoyable time on the show. I think Tina’s a great actress and I love working with her and Lucy together, I’m blessed to work with two of the best actresses on the show so I can’t complain at all. If it was down to me I’d have them stay together for as long as possible.

Do you think the public like seeing Gary and Sarah together?
It seems they do yes, just picking up on what people have been saying they seem to be really popular so hopefully it’s not the end for them and Gary doesn’t risk his relationship over Nicola.

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter