Yahoo News Coronation Street star Kate Spencer explains Grace's big lie over Tianna
Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street has aired a huge new twist for Michael Bailey, revealing that Tianna is not his daughter.
Wednesday's double bill (September 30) confirmed that Grace has been lying to Michael for months, as she is Tianna's nanny and has no other connection to the young child.
Michael discovered the terrible truth after taking Tianna from outside Grace's home, leaving her real parents distraught and confused.
Kate Spencer, who plays Grace, recently caught up with Digital Spy and other media to explain this bombshell development and tease what happens next.
Can you describe Grace and Michael's relationship from your character's point of view?
"Grace does really like Michael, because he's a bit of a go-getter. She really likes that he's always trying new things to make money. When Grace and Michael were together, they were all loved-up – but then Grace found out she was pregnant with his baby.
"Michael didn't take that in the best way. He panicked, ran away, but then came back because he realised he wanted to be part of their lives.
"At that point, Grace felt that Michael couldn't be a dad after the way he'd reacted. It really hurt her and upset her, so she decided to do it on her own. This was all way before the audience saw them meet at Freshco last November."
So why has Grace been lying to Michael?
"Grace was genuinely being honest when she told Michael that she was pregnant, but she was really hurt by the way he reacted to that and it broke her.
"Michael then bumped into Grace by chance last November. He made an assumption that Tianna was his daughter and Grace panicked. She didn't know what to do and she drove off, so it wasn't planned at all."
What happened with Grace's pregnancy?
"Grace had lost the baby that she was carrying and had a breakdown afterwards. She didn't know if she was coming or going. Grace had put her whole life into this baby that she was having, but she miscarried. She was just distraught and she didn't have Michael there to go through it with her.
"When Grace bumped into Michael, he assumed Tianna was their child. At that point, Grace thought back to the hurt that she'd been through. Michael didn't have to go through that. It wasn't his fault, as she didn't tell him. But Grace thought: 'I was hurt, so he needs to feel hurt as well'. That's where it came from and she needed someone to blame.
"It really isn't okay. Grace's breakdown explains what she did, but it doesn't excuse it. She was hurt and that explains why she went on to hurt Michael, but it doesn't excuse her actions."
How did Grace feel when she was keeping the lie going?
"Pretty stressed! It's been going on for a quite a while. Whenever Grace has had Tianna with her, she's had to make things up. You've seen her storm off and leave quite a few times, or there have been times where Michael has phoned her and she's not answered.
"I think it's been very stressful for her. She entered into this lie without thinking it through. She was going through a gut reaction of not wanting to hurt him.
"I also don't think Grace banked on the fact that she was going to fall back in love with Michael. If she'd known that, she wouldn't have done it, because it's made matters worse. She got herself into a situation and didn't know how to get out of it."
So would you say Grace's feelings for Michael were real?
"Absolutely. To begin with, Grace's reactions when Michael came back into her life were purely anger and wanting to hurt him. When she entered into his life again, she saw how he was with Tianna and that he was trying so hard.
"Grace saw a new version of Michael that was committed to her and Tianna. The love she feels for him is genuine, but that stressed her out even more because she completely dug herself into a massive hole and didn't know how to get out of it."
Grace told Michael she was moving to Spain when he proposed to her this week. Was that the truth?
"It wasn't the truth at all, she just needed a get-out clause to escape the situation. Grace's intention was to really destroy him. She thought he'd back off afterwards, but he's fallen for her as much as she's fallen for him.
"Grace hoped he'd be so hurt that he'd back away, but he didn't because he wanted to be there for her and Tianna.
"Grace would absolutely love to marry Michael, but not under these circumstances."
Is Grace remorseful for what she has done?
"I think she is remorseful. When Grace first came up with the plan, I don't think she thought it through. She didn't know she'd fall in love with Michael. Grace has now seen how much it hurt Michael, which was her intention but she didn't know it would hurt him this much.
"Grace is definitely feeling pretty guilty and it all goes down to the fact that she had a breakdown initially. She's obviously got a few mental health problems and she hasn't got over the fact that she lost a child."
What did you think of the twist?
"Right from the audition, I knew this was where the story was going. In my self-tapes, I did a scene where Grace was confident and sassy, and then an emotional scene around this topic.
"I knew the A and Z of the storyline, but I didn't know the in-between and how we would get there. I knew the child wasn't Grace's, but I didn't know whose child Tianna was.
"I thought this was a great storyline and it was really fun to play. It's also very serious and I'm very supportive of mental health issues. I ran a half-marathon for Mind last year and I'm doing my mental health awareness level two course, so the story spoke to me quite a lot.
"From a practical acting point of view, it's been really fun. It's been hard at times, because Grace kept storming out and people were asking: 'Why is she so angry all the time?' I'd think: 'There's a reason, but I just can't tell you yet!'"
How do you think viewers will react? Did anyone guess the twist?
"I've seen one message saying: 'Ooh, maybe it's not Michael's kid'. But they didn't say anything about Grace. So even if it was in people's minds that maybe Tianna wasn't Michael's, the fact that Tianna is not Grace's daughter either will have been a surprise.
"People probably won't like what Grace did, but I hope they understand it. The breakdown and her issues maybe explain what she did, but I don't think people will like her very much. They'll take Michael's side and the Baileys' side, because this affects all of them. They've all welcomed Grace and Tianna into their lives and will be distraught."
How has your time on Coronation Street been?
"It's been so much fun. Ryan [Russell, who plays Michael] and the other actors are so welcoming and we all have a laugh. They've all been super supportive. Ryan is so good to work against.
"When you're working, the camera is not necessarily always on you, but Ryan always gives such a good performance to work against, even if it's not on him. That's so helpful. The scenes are emotional and if the person you're working with doesn't give you anything, it's quite hard."
Is this the end of Grace?
"I don't think so, hopefully not! I think she's got a lot more to give. She's not going to leave that quietly. I think there's going to be a lot of twists and turns. I think there's a little bit more to come…"
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby. You can contact the Sands National Helpline on 0808 164 3332, or email helpline@sands.org.uk.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
You Might Also Like
