Coronation Street star Pauline McLynn has dropped a bombshell about her character Maggie Driscoll, confirming that the show's producers originally planned to kill her off. The actress, who joined the ITV soap last year, revealed the intriguing detail amid a gripping murder storyline that has five residents at risk.
Maggie's Dark Turn
Maggie Driscoll, played by Pauline McLynn, is known for her fierce loyalty to her family. However, her protective nature has driven her to commit questionable acts. The Driscoll family's world was shattered weeks ago when they discovered that Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) had been sexually abused by his teacher Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon). The aftermath has been tumultuous, especially as Megan, who is pregnant, refused to take a DNA test. Police officer Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) informed the family that without the test, there was insufficient evidence to prove the inappropriate relationship. With Will in denial, proving the crime seemed impossible.
Frustrated, Maggie confronted Megan, attempting to scare her out of Weatherfield. But Megan is equally combative and refused to back down. These two women are now among five residents who could be murdered. While one victim has been confirmed dead, their identity remains a mystery.
Motive and Suspicion
Megan has a strong motive to hate Maggie, and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) also has reason to kill, having just discovered his biological father is not the man who raised him. Although the list of people wanting Maggie dead is shorter than for characters like Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) or Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), she remains a potential victim.
In an interview, Pauline McLynn shared intriguing insights: "I far prefer to be a villain. When I joined the show, I was told that the plan for the character was to kill her. So we shall see! I think you'll find when you watch all of the five stories that it's very possible more than one person is dead. The wonderful Kate Brooks said to me once, 'You're going to get a set of scripts and it looks like you're dead – and you might be. I just wanted to warn you!' We don't know."
Teasing the upcoming drama, she added: "She seems very dead at the end of the week. Assume nothing. You might be being fed one thing which is true, but it could be more than one. It's also brilliantly clear that any one of the five could be a killer. There is a justice in Coronation Street; if you do a crime, you have to pay the price."
Capable of Anything
With Megan also facing potential death, Pauline reiterated that Maggie is "capable of anything" when pushed to her limit. She said: "There is so much joy in being let loose on a story and such great storytelling. You're in for such a treat for the week and beyond. As long as you can ground it in some empathy or reason why people are doing what they're doing, I believe you are allowed to luxuriate in the decisions you've made. One dodgy decision, you have to keep covering that up. In that way, I think Maggie has reached the point where she is capable of anything. She'll worry later about how to deal with the fallout. That's a brilliant and liberating place to be."
The Coronation Street murder plot continues to unfold, leaving fans guessing who will meet their end.
