Coronation Street’s Bethany Platt has fallen victim to evil groomer Nathan Curtis in one of the soap’s most controversial and harrowing storylines of all time. And things are set to get a lot darker in the next few weeks, as the young girl struggles to deal with her recent abuse. After her mum Sarah goes looking for her after she fails to turn up for an appointment, she is horrified to find her passed out on the sofa – having been plied with alcohol in preparation for another of Nathan’s parties.
The desperate mother then goes to extreme lengths to keep her daughter away from her much older boyfriend by keeping her under house arrest. However, when Bethany regains consciousness, she lashes out – worried of the consequences her absence will have. And in her rage, things go from bad to worse, ending in her brutally stabbing her mum’s boyfriend, Gary Windass.
Bethany's dark storyline has shocked viewers up and down the country
Tina O’Brien, who plays the worried mum, told Radio Times: "Sarah and Gary manage to get her home and she wakes up on the sofa and panics when she realises where she is and that she doesn’t have her phone.
"She tries to make a run for it but Gary blocks her way, she starts throwing things and stabs Gary in the arm." Viewers have seen Nathan gradually control Bethany throughout the last few months, which has resulted in her moving into his apartment and drift away from her close-knit family, and, most shockingly, agreeing to marry him.
Nathan Curtis proposed to Bethany in a bid to control her even more
Lucy Fallon, 21, has received endless praise for her portrayal of the vulnerable teenager. Last month, the rising star appeared on Loose Women to discuss her harrowing role, admitting that the male members of her family can’t bring themselves to watch her on TV, particular her dad and boyfriend, Tom. Chatting to the panel, comprising of Christine, Janet Street-Porter, Anne Diamond and Stacey Solomon, the talented actress confessed: "Obviously Tom finds it difficult to watch because obviously it’s me, and he’s watching me act out those things so he doesn’t really watch it."
STORY: Coronation Street star Lucy Fallon talks about her controversial storyline
Continuing, she added: "And I think obviously my Dad finds it quite difficult because that’s his daughter acting it out on screen." However, the star praised her mum – who has been watching the episodes, for being "amazing and supportive."
Wanting to ensure scenes are authentic to real life, both Lucy and Chris Harper, who plays groomer Nathan in the soap, have spent time talking to victims of abuse. Chatting to the panel, the Corrie star added: "We spoke to the NSPCC, we spoke to someone called Lucy who told us her story. If I am finding it difficult, I think about her.”