Coronation Street Star Discusses Grooming Storyline Outcome
Coronation Street actress Beth Nixon has provided significant insight into the future of her character Megan Walsh, who is currently grooming teenager Will Driscoll in the long-running ITV soap opera. The storyline, which began when Megan arrived in Weatherfield last November as a sports coach training Will, has taken a dark turn as the character manipulates the sixteen-year-old into believing they are in a genuine relationship.
Actress Emphasises Research and Responsibility
Newcomer Beth Nixon, aged twenty-five, recently spoke about the importance of handling this sensitive storyline with care and respect. "I have to do it justice to serve the people who have been through it", the actress explained during an interview with BBC Radio York. "There's been a rise in cases, and a few in Manchester, so you just have to try and handle it with as much care as you possibly can."
Prior to filming, Nixon conducted extensive research to prepare for the challenging role, recognising the responsibility of portraying such a serious subject matter accurately and sensitively on mainstream television.
Will's Realisation and Megan's Comeuppance
Beth Nixon confirmed that the storyline will reach a crucial turning point where Will Driscoll, played by Lucas Hodgson-Wale, finally understands his situation. "There will come a point where student Will realises he 'is a victim' and that 'it's not love'", the actress revealed. She also confirmed that Megan "will get her comeuppance", suggesting the character will face consequences for her predatory behaviour.
The Driscoll family remains unaware of the abuse occurring right under their noses, with Will completely manipulated by Megan's grooming tactics and unable to recognise the harmful nature of their relationship.
Expert Perspective on Grooming Portrayal
Luneta Tajblova, a senior practitioner at Barnardo's TIGER service, praised the soap's approach to this difficult subject. "That's what makes grooming so dangerous and so insidious", she noted, explaining that victims often don't recognise what has happened to them even after escaping the situation.
Tajblova highlighted an important aspect of the storyline: "While the majority of groomers are men, the number of women grooming children may be under reported." She emphasised that preconceptions about how perpetrators and victims look can cause society to miss many cases of abuse.
"I think the writers have done a really good job and wanted to ensure the storyline is just right, so it will hopefully raise a lot of awareness", Tajblova added, acknowledging the potential educational value of the plot.
Recent Developments and Future Conflict
In recent episodes, the situation has grown more complicated as Sam Blakeman, played by Jude Riordan, has become suspicious about Megan's relationship with Will. After discovering inconsistencies in Megan's story about a tracksuit top, Sam confronted Will about whether he and Megan were involved sexually.
Sam warned Will that Megan's actions were illegal and expressed his intention to report the situation to another teacher. Will, still under Megan's influence, made excuses and begged Sam not to tell anyone.
When Will informed Megan about Sam's suspicions, she grew nervous about their activities being discovered through hotel CCTV in Bury and Rochdale. Megan subsequently confronted Sam at Speed Daal, dropping her usual pleasant demeanour to threaten him about the seriousness of his allegations.
Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks has indicated that the situation will escalate further, stating: "We will see the lengths that Megan will go to manipulate Sam into keeping quiet. It'll be massively detrimental to Sam's wellbeing."
The storyline continues to develop as Megan becomes increasingly desperate to maintain control over Will while preventing Sam from exposing her predatory behaviour to the authorities and the wider community.
