'Coronation Street's Sue Cleaver: 'Eileen knows Paul isn't racist'
Coronation Street's Eileen Grimshaw will find her relationship with Paul Kershaw facing more trouble next week.
Just when things seem to be looking up for Paul (Tony Hirst) after he manages to bury the hatchet with Lloyd, Sophie Webster makes a complaint to his boss about his racist language.
Believing that Lloyd (Craig Charles) made the complaint, Paul storms into the pub and punches a clueless Lloyd. The police then arrive to investigate what has been going on with the two men and Paul might be charged. What will this mean for his already strained relationship with Eileen?
Here, Sue Cleaver - who plays Eileen - discusses the latest turn of events and what this could mean for Eileen and Paul's future.
How has Eileen been coping since Paul's run-in with Lloyd?
"To be honest she has been getting quite frustrated with it all and how it has been rumbling along.
"She had hoped it would just all get sorted out, but it is carrying on... she has also had to deal with the trouble Paul has had a work due to the complaint from the mother of the hoax caller he shouted at."
How has life on the Street been since then?
"Every time it looks as though it is getting back to normal, something happens which brings it all up again. She had to step in when Paul and Lloyd had a row on the street and almost came to blows. She has also found it difficult working with Lloyd as he is her boss."
Is anyone supporting her?
"Eileen is very self sufficient - she deals with problems herself and she is trying to be supportive of Paul."
Is Jason any help?
"Not really, he is not getting too involved, he initially was not too impressed with what Paul said and did tell him, but hasn't really got embroiled in it all since then."
Has it revealed a new side of Paul?
"She has always known that he is stubborn, but she has been surprised at how this has escalated out of control and also the anger and violence is not something she is used to from Paul."
How has it affected their relationship?
"They have been through such a tough time recently anyway with all her problems with his job. So this is an added pressure that they didn't need - they had only just got back to some sort of normality, and now this is putting a strain on them again. They haven't had an easy relationship at all, from the way it started out to the problems they have had along the way."
Are they strong enough to cope?
"Only time will tell. They don't have a solid foundation for their relationship because of everything that has happened, and they have not been together that long - so that does make it harder to deal with situations like this when they crop up."
Is she looking forward to the wedding?
"This has just taken the shine off it for her. She can't focus on it at the moment until this is all sorted."
Is she convinced it will happen?
"At this stage she doesn't think this is going to stop the wedding, Paul is worried about work so things are not great, but the wedding is still planned."
How does she feel to find out Sophie has made a complaint about Paul?
"She is furious as she had thought that things were starting to settle down. She is furious as Paul and Lloyd seemed to be moving on, and this is the worst possible thing that could have happened."
Is it likely he'll lose his job?
"The problem is that he has been under investigation over having a go at the young hoax caller, and then prior to that there was all the problems following Toni's death and her telling his boss he was not fit to go back to work.
"The best thing for him right now would be to keep his head down and get on with his job, but now this has happened, that is unlikely. His boss comes round to the house to talk to him about the allegations, and Paul is shocked and devastated."
How does the fight come about? Does Eileen witness Paul punching Lloyd?
"He is in the pub and has just found out that someone has reported him to the Fire Brigade for racism.
"He is convinced it was Lloyd and when he sees him and Steve leave the pub, he chases after him and has a go at him in the street and he punches him. Eileen is not there, but when she hears about it later she is absolutely furious with him."
How does Paul deal with her reaction?
"Paul is arrested and taken to the police station and comes home feeling very sorry for himself, but she makes it clear he has brought it all on himself and shows him no sympathy - he is really shocked."
Has there been any point where Eileen has doubted Paul?
"She has never believed for a moment that he is racist. She knows it was an ignorant use of racist language, but it is the way he has acted afterwards that has caused the problem."
Can she make Paul do the right thing?
"It has gone past that stage now. She had persuaded him to be civil to Lloyd, but every time it looked like it was resolved something else happened to make the row carry on.
"Now it has got to this stage and his job is at risk and the police have got involved, there is very little she can say or do."
What's the best thing about working with Tony?
"I love working with Tony - he is a great actor and we have become great friends over the past couple of years. Sometimes though it is hard to keep a straight face when we are doing serious scenes!"
Do viewers want them to be together?
"Yes, the viewers do seem to really like them as a couple and want to see Eileen happy for once. But this is soap and Eileen is not the sort of woman who ever has any real luck, so it doesn't bode well for them!"