Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Connie Evans & Lottie Gibbons

Coronation Street boss confirms Leo's death as fans fear for Audrey

The return of Stephen Reid on Coronation Street will become increasingly dramatic, according to ITV bosses.

Stephen, played by Todd Boyce, recently returned to Weatherfield after living in Italy where he had run into financial difficulty. It first appeared as though his return came just at the right moment after his mother, Audrey Roberts, had experienced a difficult time enduring a bout of depression and attempting to take her own life.

However, Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod revealed that Stephen is actually set to make Audrey's life a whole lot harder. As viewers of the ITV soap opera have witnessed Stephen's kiss with Jenny Bradley and will see his subsequent involvement in the death of Jenny's partner Leo Thompkins, Mr MacLeod said: "He will continue to get more and more desperate, and more and more dark as the story unfolds.

READ MORE: Kerry Katona dances with Brian McFadden for first time in years

"The beauty of this character really is that he's got this huge longevity in terms of his connection to the show and to a heritage family, but actually is a bit of a blank canvas that if you think back through his archive scenes, we don't really know a lot about him.

"So, we thought, well, actually, if we're going to fill in those blanks and we're going to learn more about him, shouldn't we make him dark, dangerous, interesting and scheming?"

Speaking about the effect Stephen's return will have on his mother - one of the show's most recognisable characters - Mr MacLeod was not able to put viewers' minds at ease, adding: "I always worry about Audrey, I think any Coronation Street fan should, and does, worry about Audrey, especially because she's quite fragile at the moment in terms of what we've seen on screen recently.

"She has been through this depression story. She's attempted to take her own life and that makes her particularly vulnerable to Stephen because she's clinging on to him as something positive, the light at the end of the tunnel for her emotionally. And he's really not that.

"She won't come to be in any physical jeopardy, I should say, but emotionally, the stakes for her are incredibly high, because she's put all of her sort of maternal eggs in Stephen's basket."

Todd, the 61-year-old American actor who plays the role of Stephen, revealed what might be next for the character after his involvement in Leo's death. He said: "He could have just said, 'hey, you know, my money's dried up and I'm in trouble', but he just keeps digging himself deeper all the time.

"So, Leo, I mean, he didn't really murder him, I guess it's manslaughter, but he doesn't phone the authorities and say there's a dead body in a bin, because he's got too much to hide."

Despite his dark and Machiavellian tendencies, Todd explained that Stephen does not necessarily always have cunning intentions like viewers may be inclined to believe. He said: "I think he's always been a successful businessman and it's just like a gambler.

"He just thinks if I can just get that money in, then I can just make that money grow and then I'll give it back to [Audrey]. So, I just think he thinks he's going to take her money out of her house, turn it into something bigger and pay it back."

Reflecting on why Stephen has become a lying and scheming character, Todd said: "I want my mother's approval. I'm too proud.I was always the guy with the cash and the cars and the factories, and it's crashing.

"I just don't want that facade to disappear. So I'll do anything to keep it up and get it back."

Receive newsletters with the biggest and breaking TV and showbiz news by signing up here

READ NEXT:

Mum's washing line hack to hang your clothes in seconds

BBC News' George Alagiah says he has tumour site in his back

Budget-savvy mum transforms home into colourful oasis

MSE Martin Lewis shares cheapest way to pay your energy bill

Five popular foods you should avoid putting in your air fryer

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.