After pursuing barmaid Daisy Midgeley for months, Justin Rutherford returns to Weatherfield to cruelly attack the Rovers Return barmaid with acid on her wedding day in a shocking new Coronation Street storyline. In dramatic scenes that will air next week, from Monday March 27, Daisy is the target of a sinister act of revenge from her twisted stalker, played by Andrew Still.
The horrific attack is carried out just as Daisy, played by Charlotte Jordan, is set to become Daniel Osbourne’s bride. Daisy looks a million dollars as she gets ready to leave The Rovers for the final time as Miss Midgeley.
Ryan Connor, played by Ryan Prescott, has stepped in as wedding chauffeur on her special day and they are both horrified to find Justin lurking in the shadows in the pub. Holding a glass full of clear liquid, he advances on Daisy and throws acid at her.
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Working alongside The Katie Piper Foundation and Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), the ITV soap filmed in Trafford Park has decided to tell this story to highlight the devastating impact and long lasting effects of such heinous attacks.
On the importance of tackling this storyline Coronation Street Producer Iain MacLeod said: “We were keen to show the long-term reality for people who are subjected to this kind of attack. It is something we might often read about in the papers but perhaps don’t fully understand, in terms of the depth and variety of effects it can have.
"As well as the medical impacts, we explore the social fallout of having your appearance profoundly changed, both in terms of your own ability to process that and how the wider world reacts to you. The story will at times be heartbreaking but we felt it was an important one to tell.”
After coming to the end of her tether with his terrifying behaviour, Daisy recently set a trap to wind-up Justin to the point that he launched a physical attack on her. He was arrested and charged with assault, but Daisy was distraught to learn that he had been released on bail.
Charlotte, who has played Daisy since November 2020, said: “When I was first told about this storyline, I really didn’t see this coming. It’s not something you see a lot on television so I was really surprised.
"There is a fear lurking in the back of Daisy’s mind since Justin was released on bail. She has always been thinking, 'will Justin retaliate in some way?' Seeing him again after he has been warned multiple times by officials to stay away from her, she is certainly scared of how he is going to react. I don’t think Daisy really thought about how obsessed Justin was going to become.”
Sarah Green, Chief Executive of The Katie Piper Foundation, said: “The Katie Piper Foundation were happy to support the team at Coronation Street to understand both the initial and long-lasting impact of an acid attack.
"The Katie Piper Foundation supports survivors of burns and traumatic scarring. Burns can happen in an instant, to anyone at any time, and within seconds survivors can be faced with a lifetime of recovery.
"We focus not only on the physical recovery of a survivor, but also the mental recovery addressing issues such as sight loss, PTSD, limb loss and new visible differences. Coronation Street have shown determination in their research to portray the reality of such attacks and the long-lasting impact they have, not only on the individual, but also the family and the wider community.
"We hope that story line delivers much needed awareness around the life of all survivors of burns – not just the initial impact but the proceeding hours, days, months and years of their lives”
Jaf Shah, Executive Director of ASTI, said: “Due to the distressing nature of an acid attack, it can be easier to look away. Coronation Street is to be commended for confronting this particularly brutal form of violence, a single act of violence that carries lifelong consequences.
"Our hope is that the airing of this storyline paves the way to increased understanding of the devastating and complex impact on the lives of survivors. In turn we also hope it will help to amplify and accelerate ASTI’s vision - the absolute necessity to end attacks, thereby preventing further pain and suffering.”
The Katie Piper Foundation, launched by model Katie Piper who was left with extensive injuries after acid was thrown in her face in 2008 when she was 24 years old, delivers mental and physical rehabilitation to survivors of burns and traumatic scarring. And the ASTI works to end acid violence at a global level. In 2021, there were 420 reported acid attacks in the UK.
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