When Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) was revealed as the body found by Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), the big Coronation Street mystery shifted from ‘whoisit?’ to ‘whodunnit?’.
We were given a list of suspects: Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce), Theo’s long-suffering boyfriend and abuse victim, Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby), the adoptive daughter of Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), who Theo had killed, Danielle Silverton (Natalie Anderson), Theo’s perennially furious ex-wife, George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley), the closest thing Todd has to family on the street, his girlfriend Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) and Gary Windass (Mikey North), once Theo’s best friend turned enemy.
Admittedly, the suspect list could have extended much further; by the time Theo was finally smashed across the bonce and sent flying from the scaffolding to his doom, he was universally hated, even by the other street baddies.
It soon became incredibly clear that Gary and Todd’s best friend, Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien), were hiding something dark, drawing the ire of their respective partners, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Kit Green (Jacob Roberts).
After a dinner party at which Maria challenged them over the alleged affair, we finally learned that they weren’t concealing any illicit bunk-ups at all; Sarah had killed Theo and called on Gary to help her cover it up.
Struggling under the immense pressure of her killer secret, Sarah eventually admitted her guilt to Todd, leading him to terminate their friendship and next week, she’s forced to confess again, this time to Kit, when he pops the question to her.
‘She feels like the worst person in the world. It should be a perfect moment, but she is so racked with guilt and shame that she can’t enjoy it at all,’ Tina says of the event.
‘She knows that telling him means the ‘perfect relationship’ he believes they have is over.’
Elaborating further on Sarah’s feelings in the moment, Tina added: ‘She can see how much he loves her and she definitely wants to be with him.
‘I know there’s been mention of people thinking that Sarah and Gary should be together, but she really does love Kit, she just doesn’t know what to do.
‘She is struggling with the idea of getting married while hiding such a massive secret—she doesn’t know how to behave anymore and is hitting breaking point.’
Does Tina think that Sarah and Kit can survive the revelation that she’s a killer?
‘Sarah’s concern is that Kit will feel deeply betrayed, especially if he finds out that Gary was in the know, but he himself wasn’t.
‘I think she loves him, and she really wants to be with him, but I think she worries that if he finds out the truth, has she got to try and convince him not to go to the police about her.
‘She worries he will see her as only being with him to keep herself out of prison. It would create a horrible dynamic of mistrust and confusion, and it’s hard to say if that could ever be repaired.’
It’s no secret that fans have been divided over who Sarah should ultimately be with: Kit or Gary, but what does Tina think?
‘If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said absolutely — Kit is the right person for Sarah.
‘But after everything she has been through with Gary, it’s complicated. Even though they never crossed a line, there’s a level of emotional support and care still there.
‘It’s hard to know if there is still something more, or if they are both just blind to it.’
Tina went on to muse over the audience reaction to her off’ing Theo: ‘It’s been really good.
‘I’ve had so many people coming up to me in the street, genuinely shocked.
‘I was so convinced that everyone would know it’s me that it’s been interesting to hear feedback—some people were completely surprised, others suspected it, but everyone seemed to love the dinner party scene and the reveal.’
