Yahoo News Corrie star reveals Audrey will be distraught
Coronation Street's Audrey Roberts has her world turned upside-down next week, as she finally discovers the truth about her stolen inheritance money.
When troublesome Natalie Watkins gatecrashes the Platt family's holiday, she sparks a chain of events which ultimately results in David confessing everything to his gran.
Here, Sue Nicholls – who plays Audrey – reveals more about what to expect from the ITV soap's big 9pm week.
Has Audrey resigned herself to the fact that her money has gone now?
"Yes, she has in a way. She isn't one to show that she still thinks of Lewis. She has said that she feels a fool and that she shouldn't have got drawn in by him. She was in love with him and it wasn't just a fling.
"Somewhere along the line, Lewis stayed in her heart so she feels very let down and hurt. As time has gone by, she doesn't want to think about it that much.
"Audrey now thinks Gail was right about Lewis. It suits the boys to let her carry on believing that. But Audrey didn't need to feel any of those things, because he hadn't actually done it."
Is Audrey looking forward to the holiday? Could putting the whole family together like this be a recipe for disaster?
"Well Audrey knows that the family has always been slightly dysfunctional, so despite what the viewers might think, it is actually fairly much the norm for the Platts – all the bickering and stuff is part and parcel of their everyday life.
"It is the usual thing that families do, they get together at Christmas or for family events and they believe it will be fun and it will bring them all together and calm them all down. That is how Audrey thought of it, that's family life. The others are probably less optimistic than her."
The net is closing in on Nick, but does Audrey have any idea?
"She is blissfully ignorant and that is part of the strength of the story. It is great because it puts a real edge on the whole holiday. Nick knows everything is closing in and he just has to put a brave face on it and get on with the holiday."
Does Audrey think that she has the measure of her grandchildren?
"Audrey isn't in any way suspicious. She thinks she understands David because she gets more back from him than most people, as she has spent more time with him than anyone else. She even lets him get away with the terrible things that he says on occasion.
"Audrey understands where David is coming from. She gets on with Nick but she hasn't had an awful lot to do with him as he hasn't been around as much.
"Audrey is very proud of her family and she loves them all. They are all different. David is Martin's son and Martin could be quite abrasive. Sarah, bless her, is quite like Gail – she has her worrying characteristics and she is terribly worried about everything.
"Nick is more like Brian because he is a jack the lad and he has lived a different type of life. Gail takes everything so personally. But Audrey takes one step back and sees the bigger picture. Which makes what has happened so much worse, as she thinks she knows them."
What was it like to film the holiday scenes on location?
"It was lovely and I enjoyed it very much. It was a lovely place. Everyone had a lovely time and the weather was beautiful. We all get on so well and look out for each other. We had many laughs filming it.
"The holiday is all ticking along and it is the holiday Audrey hoped it would be. If they knew what was going on in the background, obviously it would be a different story, but for now it is just a fun family holiday."
Why do you think David decides to come clean?
"WelI I think it is guilt that pushes David to confess as Audrey was nonplussed about the fact that Natalie had turned up. She believed it was just something to do with the business and wasn't really interested at that point.
"David has always felt guilty I think, and he wasn't part of the robbery – he was just hurt over everything that happened with the salon."
What does Audrey think when David asks to speak to her?
"They are on a walk by the lake and they are having a chat. He is trying to tell her something, but he is going round the houses and Audrey is just wanting to look at the view. But he then decides to tell her everything.
"Audrey just doesn't take it in. As you can imagine, it is a lot to get her head around. It is a huge thing for her to comprehend and then the argument starts between David and Nick, with Nick throwing accusations and she is even more muddled."
What is going to hurt her the most?
"For her it is not even about the money, it is that they allowed her to think that Lewis, the man she loved, had done this to her. You can repay money but they can never give back to her the fact that they ruined the name of the person she really loved. She is devastated at that."
If Audrey wants to go to the police, do you think she will find herself at odds with Gail?
"Gail has let those boys get away with so much over the years. At this stage, Audrey is feeling very hurt and the fact that Gail will probably try and back the boys, it is like opening that wound again.
"She had reconciled with her family when they were so against her and Lewis being together. Then when she thought he had stolen from her, she had to make up with her family. At the heart of this, Audrey has had wrong done to her by her own family."
How does it feel to still be getting big stories in your 40th year of playing Audrey?
"I am enjoying it immensely. I am loving this storyline. I was quite fascinated when I did these scenes as I deliberately don't read the scenes I am not in, so I am sort of unaware of what has unfolded between the two boys. I like not knowing their side of it.
"I am very lucky and I am enjoying Audrey in later life. It is great to see how she has changed as a character. In real life I am a different person now in my 70s than I was in my 40s, 50s and 60s, I am finally vaguely perhaps growing up a bit!
"Audrey is the same. She came into the show a bit common, then she went through the stage of being very grand because she met lovely Alf, who calmed her in one way but then gave her pretensions of being someone different.
"Then she had all the other people in her life and now she doesn't have anyone in her life following Lewis – that was going to be her future and they stopped her having that life. It has been brilliant playing all those different stages."
Would you be friends with Audrey?
"I think so now. She is the kind of person that you would perhaps grow up with and go home and gossip about them, but you kind of like them. I have lots of lady friends who you love and call them your dearest friend, but it might not have always been the case. Because you have got to know them, you forget about the things that might have annoyed you about them.
"So what would have annoyed me in the beginning about Audrey would have long gone. I am liking her more now. I am enjoying this era but I don't look back as a person particularly, apart from fond memories because nobody knows what might happen."
Have you enjoyed playing such a big fall-out among the family?
"Yes, the family has never been this fractured. I am interested to see how it is going to develop. It's just like in the real world – I don't know what is going to happen to me in a month and nor do I know what is going to happen to Audrey, but I will enjoy finding out. I will enjoy getting the scripts and reading them."
What sort of public reaction do you get about this storyline?
"The ladies in Sainsbury's say that I should 'watch out for that Nick', even before they knew what he was up to. I get a lot of comments about lovely Lewis and what a shame that he got away.
"People do see to care about Audrey which is lovely, I get lovely letters and I am very grateful for everything. I am so proud and lucky to still be a part of this Coronation Street family and that is all I can say, it is just wonderful."
Coronation Street airs at 9pm all next week on ITV.
Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our Coronation Street homepage
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