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Kevin and Molly's clandestine affair in Coronation Street reaches its greatest turning point on Christmas Day as the loved-up pair resolve to reveal all to their respective partners - Sally (Sally Whittaker) and Tyrone (Alan Halsall) - in order to finally be together without having to sneak around behind everyone's backs. Their plan to leave their partners, however, takes a shock turn when Sally makes the earth-shattering revelation to Kevin (Michael Le Vell) that she has breast cancer. Stunned to the core, guilt immediately sets in for Kevin - will he decide to stand by his wife? And even if he does, will he be able to stop Molly (Vicky Binns) in time before she confesses all to Tyrone? We recently caught up with Vicky to hear what she has to say about Weatherfield's festive editions and her take on Molly and Kevin's affair.
What is it that Molly sees in Kevin?
"I think what Molly sees in Kevin is the fact that he's in charge. She's got complete control over Tyrone and this is suddenly hugely exciting that she's not really got control of [Kevin] and he's a gameplayer and he manipulates her in a way. She finds that really intriguing and exciting and it's the chase with her - she can't quite get him and doesn't quite understand him. He's a complex character which is the polar opposite of Tyrone."
Molly can't bear being with Tyrone, but Kevin seems happy with Sally - does Molly struggle to deal with that?
"Yes, massively. In a way, she's more truthful to her feelings than Kevin, what with him being older and less emotionally available. Molly's put her whole heart 100% into her relationship with Tyrone, but Kevin - probably because of experience and being an older heart - he can hold himself back and go back to his family. He has a lot more to lose as well and he's probably not as much of a risk-taker. He's older, he's got all the kids and he can see a future where he and Sally could grow old together and settle down, whereas Molly's embarking on the very start of her life."
Is Molly upset by her revelation that Kevin's got less to lose?
"I think it shocks her to the core because she's so naïve to it and that's the first time she's ever been treated like that by a man. Tyrone puts his whole heart into everything and he's the only person she's ever been in love with and that all went very well, so it absolutely devastates her that he's able to pull away and go off with the family. It provokes these jealousy feelings towards Sally. It's of course not 'just', but it's just the way it happens. She resents Sally and resents this happy marriage and we're seeing this new side to Kevin because it's quite weak of him, really."
Do you think Kevin would be happy without Sally?
"I think Kevin and Sally have got something that's irreplaceable. The time they've been together, everything they've gone through together, they've got children together - I think they're soulmates and kindred spirits."
Are you surprised Molly's attempted to shatter that, then?
"I'm not surprised because I don't think she's actively attempted to shatter that. She's not aware of what it is to be married and be with someone for that time. She's naïve to think she could even come close to that with Kevin. What she's done is wrong and I think that's interesting within that character, because people do do things that aren't right and people do things they shouldn't do and react selfishly to things because they want to survive and they want the best for them. People aren't all good or bad, they do wrong things. That's what's interesting about playing her as well, it's not just playing someone who's completely moral."
What happens on Christmas Day between Kevin and Molly?
"It really is a rollercoaster Christmas Day for Molly and Kevin. The day ends so differently than it started out. Molly is trying to make do - it's Christmas Day and she's got all her family round and she's in the kitchen dealing with everyone and they have no idea she's got this whole other world with Kevin. She's basically just trying to get through Christmas Day. She's threatened Kevin that she's going to leave him and make do with her life. I think in some ways she believes it and she's going to try and make the best of a bad situation. Kevin doesn't like it because of course Molly then has control, so he comes round and they hatch a plan which is outrageous but very true to those characters together - they do feed off each other's excitement - so they decide to go for it and make this outrageous choice. They both just get swept along in the excitement of it all - it's so wrong, it's right."
The plan is to go for it and tell everyone?
"The plan is to leave their respective partners. I don't think either of them know how that's going to happen or how they're going to do that but they certainly come to that decision. The end of the episode is will they or won't they leave their partners - will they or won't they have the guts? Reading the episode it doesn't end where you think it's going to end at all. It's a real surprise!"
Vicky Binns on Kevin, Tyrone and Auntie Pam
Corrie's dramatic Christmas Day episodes see Molvin - Molly (Vicky Binns) and Kevin (Michael Le Vell) - reach the decision to tell their respective other halves about their affair. Kevin's world, however, is rocked by Sally's (Sally Whittaker) revelation that she has breast cancer.
Will Kevin stand by his loving wife? And even if he decides to stick with Sally, will he be able to break the news to Molly before she rips Tyrone's (Alan Halsall) world apart?
Click here to read the main part of my interview with Vicky Binns. Alternatively, read on to see what Vicky had to say about why Molly's with Kevin, whether Molly's unhappy with Tyrone and Auntie Pam's (Kate Anthony) involvement in the plot.
Is it just about the sex with Kevin?
"Initially it was. It was pure chemistry and it was lust between them and all the excitement of an affair. In their minds there was no way it would go any further. They would just embark on these little dalliances which were fun for both of them and then just get on with their lives separately. I think Molly was genuinely naïve to that because she's young and inexperienced, Kevin knows better and knows the magnitude of affairs because he's had them before so I think he was a little bit wiser."
When do you think Molly realised it was more than sex? Was it when they went to the show home?
"I think you're right, actually. Those episodes - it was the danger of them starting to think, 'Let's just imagine for a minute'. They've spent so much time together and ; as is the way with affairs - the time that they spend together is so precious and so exciting and intense, then she's going home to Tyrone and looking at him with different eyes and seeing the reality of him. I think she just realises that her life could go in two paths."
Is Molly unhappy with Tyrone?
"I don't think the affair started because she was unhappy with Tyrone, it started because of lust and it sort of happened to her and she went with it but I think what it's done is flag up the fact that reality has kicked in with Tyrone and now because she's had something more, the big question which she is coming to realise is, 'Will Tyrone be enough for her?'"
What happens when Molly discovers the truth about Kevin's trip away?
"He's sneaking about and he - as Kevin does - gets backed into going on this trip and he's never willing to make any grand gesture by not going, he goes along with what both women want so he decides to go to Paris, but he does it behind Molly's back so ironically he manages to cheat on his mistress with his wife! (Laughs) He's having his cake and eating it at the moment."
Is that the final straw?
"I think when she finds out, she realises that she's lost control so she's desperately trying to get control back. The only control that she has is to finish it, so she plays a little game with him and says it's over just to see if he'll fight for her."
Do you think Auntie Pam should be playing a bigger part and maybe being more inquisitive?
"I think it's interesting that that's the character that knows because she's on the periphery of Molly's life and indeed the storyline. She's a bit of an oracle and I think she's just there as a rock. Molly knows Pam is never going to tell on her and she'll always ultimately be on Molly's side. I think she's protecting Molly as best she can by believing her that the affair's over. She's genuinely shocked that it started up again and genuinely angry that Molly's lied to her all this time. I love that character because she's straight down the line. Her relationship with Molly is really honest, she's probably the only person who doesn't flower things up and they just speak really honestly with each other."
How do you think Molly would cope if she discovered that Tyrone was having an affair?
"I think she would actually fall to the floor with shock that somebody else would want him. I don't even think that she would believe it. It would absolutely pull the rug from under her - it'd be fantastic and hilarious. I've seen that before with people who just can't believe that someone else could fancy their husband - they think it's only them! The fact that she would be so angry with herself that she could be deceived by Tyrone. She thinks she understands him completely and she's got him by the balls."