Coronation Street star Kate Ford has revealed her character Tracy McDonald’s sceptical response to Rob Donovan’s “crazy” runaway plan.
Tracy is in for a shock next week as Rob reappears on the cobbles and invites her to come on the run with him.
Rob is currently a wanted man after escaping from the hospital following his decision to donate a kidney to his sister Carla Connor.
The dangerous killer had been due for a return to prison, where he’d been serving a long sentence for the murder of Tina McIntyre.
ITV
Speaking about the moment that her character comes face-to-face with Rob again, Kate explained: “Tracy can’t believe it, but at the same time she’s still got a bit of a soft spot for him, so she does let him come into the house without much persuasion.
“But she is shocked to see him and she can’t believe it. She doesn’t want to get involved in it, but she just feels bad that she’s not helping him because at a time they were in love.
“I don’t think she feels like that for him anymore, but she acknowledges that he came back for her when he burst into the courtroom. She feels she owes him this, but she says: ‘One night, then you have to leave’.
“However, then he starts to want more and to stay longer and that starts to really stress her out.”
ITV
Rob stays overnight at No.1 and convinces Tracy to get actively involved in his plans by meeting up with his dodgy contact and retrieving a fake passport.
As Tracy starts to feel anxious about harbouring a wanted criminal, she urges Rob to hurry up and get going.
Seemingly in no rush, Rob shocks Tracy by suggesting that they should leave together and start a new life.
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Kate continued: “Tracy says to him so many times: ‘I’m not going back to prison for you, you’ve got to leave’. Then the more he resists, the more panicky she starts to get about being caught out.
“When he suggests they should leave together, she can’t believe what he’s talking about – she just thinks it’s crazy. He’s got a gaping hole in the side of his body and some sort of infection and she just thinks he’s lost his mind.
“He needs to get to the hospital, he’s not talking sense. I think it would take a lot to persuade her at this point.”
Coronation Street airs these scenes on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 on ITV1 and ITVX.