Yahoo News Coronation Street newcomer Stephanie Davis reveals all on Courtney role and Aadi affair
Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street introduces an exciting new character later this month as former Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis takes on the role of newcomer Courtney Vance.
Courtney is the wife of Darren Vance, who's one of Dev Alahan's business clients. Unhappy in her marriage and looking for a deeper connection with someone, Courtney makes a move on Dev's son Aadi and a steamy affair story begins.
Stephanie recently chatted to Digital Spy and other press to share more details about the role.
How does it feel to have joined the Coronation Street cast?
"It's absolutely amazing and a dream come true – I'm loving it. Everyone's been so welcoming and I've just settled in straight away. It's an amazing place with amazing people.
"I actually wrote a poem when I was about 13 or 14 and I said in it: 'One day, I will be on the cobbles of Coronation Street'. My mum put it in a bedside drawer and she got it out the other day.
"She said: 'How amazing is that? As a child, it was one of your dreams and now you're doing it'."
How did the role come about?
"It was like fate. I took time out to be a mum to my little boy Caben. I said to my partner that I needed to get back to work and do what I love again, so I applied for a new agent.
"When I went to meet my new agent and she asked what I wanted to do, I said: 'I want to do Coronation Street and throw in a panto as well for Christmas!' I was laughing and joking about it with her.
"Two days later, I was getting my eyelashes done by my cousin and I said again that I wanted to do Coronation Street. As we were speaking, my phone started ringing and it was my agent.
"She said: 'This is weird. A part has just come up for Coronation Street'. As soon as I read the brief for the character, I just thought: 'This is mine'. I did the audition but I thought it was too good to be true, because it was my first audition back and no-one gets the first audition. But my agent phoned me and told me that I'd got it."
How did you react?
"I actually started crying! I just couldn't believe how quickly it all happened and I was so, so grateful. As a kid, I grew up with Coronation Street on the television at home.
"I just felt like everything happened for a reason. I felt really grateful and blessed and couldn't believe how one minute I was telling this new agent that I want to do Coronation Street and next minute I'd got the part."
Can you describe the character of Courtney for us?
"Courtney has got a lot of layers. I think she's very sassy and she has got a lot of confidence. There's a few little references to her mum in some of the scenes, and you can tell she's not had a great life.
"Courtney has met Darren, who's obviously got loads of money and she has probably settled for that to have a good lifestyle. But there's no love there. I feel Courtney, in a nutshell, is just longing to be loved."
Can you tell us about Courtney's attraction towards Aadi?
"It happens quite quickly. Courtney is definitely attracted to Aadi, but I think a lot of it comes from her relationship with Darren because he's cheated on her multiple times. That obviously affects your self-worth and confidence.
"So a lot of it is Courtney wanting to get one back on her husband. But she also wants someone to love her and Aadi shows that to her, giving her that affection."
Courtney goes in for the first kiss and seems confident that Aadi will respond. Is she used to getting what she wants?
"She's definitely used to getting what she wants! She wanders around with Darren's credit cards in her handbag and she's a bit spoiled. So what Courtney wants, Courtney gets.
"But that's all a bit of bravado. Deep down from playing Courtney, I see her just as a lost little girl."
Aadi is younger, but does the age difference bother Courtney?
"No, not at all. I think Courtney just sees Aadi as the first guy that pays a bit of interest to her and she goes for it."
Is the affair just a bit of fun, or could it start to mean more?
"Courtney definitely cares about Aadi. At first, it's a bit of fun and the thrill of whether she's going to be caught or not. She's loving the attention from this young, good looking guy and it's making her feel good.
"Courtney hasn't felt like that for a long time with Darren. She's been in a big house, but it's a loveless marriage. Darren doesn't pay Courtney any attention, he doesn't listen to her and doesn't give her his time – just his credit card, basically.
"At first it's a bit of fun for Courtney but then she starts to see this other side to Aadi. Aadi also definitely starts to see this other side to Courtney and then it gets a bit more serious."
Courtney is very intelligent, isn't she?
"Yes, she's got the brains – she could run Darren's whole business if she wanted to, but she's settled and maybe she hasn't got enough confidence in herself to go for it, or she doesn't think she deserves it. So she just settles to be the trophy wife.
"Aadi starts to show Courtney that she's actually more than that. She's basically been a trophy wife for 10 years and not worked. Everything is in Darren's name. So it will take a lot for Courtney to be able to break away and go on her own. I think she sees that as a bit impossible, so she settles and stays where she is.
"If Courtney stays with Darren, she's got a loveless marriage, but she's got all this money. But if she leaves Darren and goes with Aadi, they'll be skint and have no money but she'll have love. So which way will she decide to go?"
Has Courtney been fun to play?
"So much fun. We've had some good laughs on set. But what I love about Courtney is that we've only just scratched the surface with her – there are so many more layers to her. I can't say too much about that, because these are scripts later down the line, but there's a lot of bravado and there's a lot of stuff underneath.
"I feel quite sorry for Courtney because I don't think she's ever been loved in her life."
Would you like to see Courtney stick around on the Street, or do you think she'll get bored with life in Weatherfield?
"I'd love to see her stick around. Like I said, there's so many different layers to explore there with her. She's certainly made herself at home straight away.
"I've had so many messages in my DMs because Claire Sweeney has gone into Corrie and because we're both Scouse, they're saying: 'We know what it is, you're going in as her daughter!' So who knows? We'll have to wait and see."
Who from the cast has helped you to settle in?
"I literally could mention the whole cast because everyone has been so nice. I've been working with Jimmi Harkishin who plays Dev, who is just amazing and such a special person.
"There's also Elle Mulvaney who plays Amy Barlow and Adam Hussain who plays Aadi. Helen Worth who plays Gail has been so lovely – she's been like a mother hen to me, settling me in.
"Obviously Jodie Prenger who plays Glenda was on a show similar to me – I did Over The Rainbow and she did the Nancy one, so we've always known each other. She was made up when she saw me and gave me a big hug. We were reminiscing and it was really lovely to see her.
"Alison King who plays Carla has been so lovely to me. Bill Roache has been really friendly and lovely.
"The other day I got to see Claire Sweeney, so it was amazing to see her as well."
What was your first day like?
"The first scene that I filmed was in The Rovers, which was amazing. I'd said to my mum and my partner that I just couldn't wait to be back on set and hear 'rolling up and action'. I took a little video of myself when I heard it – I could have cried as I was so happy.
"Everything's so fast, which is brilliant. In the past I've been used to single camera filming but a lot of the time now it's multi camera, which is brilliant and gets everything done a lot quicker.
"I've been in TV since such a young age and it's all I know, so it's just like I've been back at home where I belong."
Will you let your son Caben watch your scenes?
"I'm going to let him watch the first few episodes. But then after that, we'll have to see – it depends on what episodes we're up to, because obviously Courtney is doing a lot of kissing with Aadi. So, probably not those bits! But he can watch me join the show.
"My family are going to get together for a little night in my house and watch the first two episodes together."
Have any of your old Hollyoaks co-stars been in touch to congratulate you on the new job?
"Yes. Ross Adams [who plays Scott in Hollyoaks] is one of my best friends. He actually used to write for Coronation Street so he knows everyone on Coronation Street as well. We spoke on the phone and he sang the Corrie theme tune on the phone to me on a voice note and he was just over the moon for me!
"I had a lot of people comment on my Instagram. I got inundated with messages from people. Also, a lot of the crew from Hollyoaks are at Coronation Street. So it's been like home away from home."
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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