Coronation Street fans were disturbed as they watched Max Turner roped further into a extremist group in Wednesday night's episode. Viewers watched horrified as the troubled teen was blindsided and later seduced by his racist new friend Lauren.
Max was introduced to Lauren by eco-warrior Griff, who has been revealing his true agenda in the ITV soap. Coronation Street is exploring a new grooming storyline - this time involving teen Max. The last time the show tackled the issue, Bethany Platt, played by Lucy Fallon, was groomed for sex.
The new, hard-hitting storyline is to highlight the issue of the grooming of disenfranchised and impressionable young men. Viewers will see a lonely and vulnerable Max, played by Paddy Bever, targeted by a gang of extremists ultimately putting his own life and that of his friends and family in danger.
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Tonight (November 9) Lauren lured Max in as he started his new job at Speed Daal with his friend Daryan, who is from Iraq, and she spouted racist bile. She was rattled when she had to wait for Max to finish work, and kindly Daryan chatted to her.
After storming out of the restaurant, claiming to be feeling unwell, she blasted Max saying: "You left me alone for ages with some dodgy lad at the curry house." and Griff also took him to task, saying: "How well do you know him? he could be up to all sorts."
"I didn't like the way he was looking at me," she ranted about Daryan. "I don't want to go back there. I was scared. That's what made me feel sick."
Later when they confronted Daryan, he pointed out that boss Alya Nazir had backed him, saying said he did nothing wrong. "Your lot always stick together," she seethed.
Viewers angrily took to Twitter as they warned Max. @mishybabez_said: "I cant stand lauren Max needs to stay the hell away from her and Griffs racist gang."
@sumac8 pleaded: "Please Max don’t be sucked in!!" @mikepriestley13 wrote: "I think Lauren would of been a great long term character if it wasn’t for her association with the racist gang unless she gets out of that gang."
@Momrocks50 said: "Max is very dim for not noticing how racist vile this 'cough' new friends are but this is how they do it go for vulnerable." And @thomas_matthewj wrote about the storyline: "This racism storyline is going to get my blood boiling."
Corrie producer Iain MacLeod said of the new storyline: "Overall, Max's story is one about the grooming of a vulnerable teenager at a point where he's feeling most alienated and disenfranchised. The story will encompass the "traditional" recruitment techniques of extremists groups, and we'll see Max befriended in person by older, mentor-like figures that will give him a sense of loyalty and brotherhood.
“Then, later in the story, we will explore a very 21st Century problem: teenagers self-radicalising through watching extreme content online. In the end, we wanted this to be a story about communication within families - what are the right and wrong ways to talk to younger family members who are gravitating towards extreme views? For the conclusion of the story, David's misjudged attempts to deal with Max will drive the narrative to a shocking and thought-provoking climax."
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