Coronation Street has announced plans to explore knife crime in a dark new storyline for Mason Radcliffe.
Mason is stabbed during an altercation with his brothers Matty and Logan in early January, leaving the Weatherfield community in shock as he fights for his life.
Upcoming episodes see Mason agree to help DS Lisa Swain gather evidence against his villainous siblings.
Lisa is convinced that Matty and Logan were involved in the death of her late wife Becky – a fellow police detective who sadly lost her life in the line of duty.
While Dylan Wilson helpfully acts as a lookout, Mason searches Matty and Logan’s flat. He finds a WWII helmet which could link them to the scene of the crime, so he hands it over to Lisa.
Aware that there’s now a target on his back, Mason makes plans to flee from Weatherfield to escape from his brothers.
Wanting to set things right before he goes, Mason tries to convince Betsy that he had nothing to do with the death of Becky. He also makes a genuine apology to his former schoolmate Liam Connor for cruelly bullying him earlier this year.
Later, Matty and Logan are released after facing police questioning over the helmet. They head straight to find Mason and Dylan, cornering them at the precinct.
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Shortly afterwards, Abi Webster is horrified when she finds Mason bleeding from a stab wound in the children’s play area.
As an ambulance is called, Dylan explains that Matty and Logan stabbed Mason with a zombie knife.
Abi and Betsy both accompany Mason in the ambulance as he’s rushed to hospital. They try to reassure Mason that he’s going to be okay, but will he survive?
Speaking about the dark storyline, Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks told Digital Spy and other press: “We start the year with a big knife crime story. It’s a really important story to tackle, because the statistics are so alarming.
“We’ve worked really closely with the Ben Kinsella Foundation to make sure we’re telling the story right and that the message is to not carry a knife out of fear, because that escalates everything. We know we’re tackling a sensitive storyline and it’s going to be very hard-hitting.
“We have Mason at the centre of it and Dylan and Betsy are involved. It has massive ramifications for Abi – and for Tim and Sally going forward.”
Brooks continued: “We just felt like it was a subject that we couldn’t ignore. It isn’t a subject matter that we tackle lightly. It’s an important one to talk about and let young people know that carrying a bladed article is not the way.
“It’s a real community story and a shocking story. I love the shock storytelling tactics. I think they work and they keep people guessing. It is definitely a shock!
“We’re telling the story in a very interesting way. It’s not your usual linear storytelling. It’s different and it’s bold, but I think it’s really impactful how we’re telling it.”
