Coronation Street aired the culmination of the unnerving stalker storyline with a horrific acid attack in the soap's episode on Monday, March 27. Daisy Midgley and Ryan Connor came face-to-face with her obsessed stalker, Justin, who went on to attack the pair with the corrosive substance.
The episode, which saw Ryan seriously injured as he protected the barmaid on her wedding day, has prompted Daisy actress Charlotte Jordan to thank viewers for tuning in and the positive reaction to the dramatic storyline.
She wrote on Twitter: "Feel quite overwhelmed with all the messages about last nights [sic] @itvcorrie. So many people to thank for delivering episodes on such a sensitive and unfortunately, prevalent subject matter. It’s a real team effort but wanted to say thank you for watching, even when it’s hard. Xx"
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Viewers praised the 'powerful' and 'heartbreaking' hour of television which was written by former Corrie star, Julie Helmondshalgh's husband, Ian Kershaw. Julie played iconic character Hayley Cropper on the cobbles. One fan tweeted: "Charlotte Jordan & Ryan Prescott were both incredible tonight. Hard hitting storyline and scenes acted out incredibly by everyone involved!" And another added: "I can't put into words what this episode has made me feel. It's definitely one that will stick with me for a long, long time. Kudos to absolutely everybody involved and in complete awe."
The episode was centred on Daisy's impending marriage to Daniel Osbourne but the drama kicked off as Daisy's stalker, Justin, who has been inflicting a campaign of harassment for months, entered the Rovers Return and threw a corrosive substance at her. But her friend Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) was in the firing line and viewers saw the traumatic aftermath as Daisy rushed to help the DJ.
The soap, known for its hard-hitting storylines like male rape, hate crimes and right-wing grooming, in partnership with charities and experts, worked with the Katie Piper Foundation and Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) on the acid attack storyline.
Prescott, who met with attack survivors, has said: "Speaking with people from the Katie Piper Foundation and all the reading in the world can’t really make you comprehend the reality of violence of this extreme nature. It’s just one of those things that you can’t comprehend unless you’ve gone through it. You just try your best to engage with all the issues around it.”
On how his character reacts when he gets into hospital, he added: “He’s starting to see that his life is never going to be the same again.”
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