Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper)

Coronation Street: Christopher Harper on sinister Nathan's plans for Bethany - "It should be making your toes curl"
The new Corrie star talks about the soap's disturbing grooming storyline
If the sinister flattery of Coronation Street’s Nathan is currently sending a chill down your spine, then you’re definitely not alone. Even those who work on the ITV soap have been left unsettled by the newcomer’s interest in teenager Bethany.
“There was a scene in Roy’s Rolls where Nathan told Bethany that she looked hot and it made the whole camera crew squirm,” admits Christopher Harper. “In every scene, he’s giving her compliments, but they’re always a little too warm. The guy’s charming, but I’m hoping that you can see something reptilian in his eyes.”
Despite only being on screen since Christmas Day, it’s already implicit that Nathan’s plans for Bethany aren’t exactly benign. So far we’ve witnessed him giving her attention, building trust and using insincere praise to find favour. And Corrie fans can certainly expect the plotline to take some worrying twists over the coming months:
“This is a story about someone who is making a teenage girl fall in love with him. It’s not about online grooming - he’s doing it face to face. It’s not some weird, ugly bloke on the other side of a computer,” adds the actor, “this is a tale of somebody who is not behaving as he should be doing and a girl who can’t read the signals in the way that someone who’s a bit older would be able to.”
Harper, 39, has come to Corrie by way of training at Bristol’s Old Vic and a number of theatre and TV roles, the most high profile of which – playing Victoria Wood’s screen son in Housewife, 49 and Cecil Beaton in the revival of Upstairs Downstairs – being a world away from conniving Nathan. So how much did he know about the character when he signed up?
“I knew at the audition that he wasn’t a nice guy. I could see that he was very manipulative and was homing in on the vulnerability of Bethany, who has had a hell of a time recently.
“But I was really attracted by the opportunity to play this duplicity. He’s not your normal alpha male and even his sexuality is fairly unclear – is he gay, is he straight, is he into anything at all? I love how slippery he is, certainly at the beginning.
“What you’re seeing is Nathan building this relationship with Bethany using what appears to be kindness, friendship and generosity. But already, it should be making your toes curl.”
For Harper, it was also important that those at risk of exploitation got to see that not every abuser fitted the eccentric Jimmy Savile mould: “I think that’s vital. When I was growing up, these guys were all described as having comb-overs, bad teeth, dodgy fingernails and be living at home with their grandmas. And that’s simply not the case.
“A report from the National Crime Association in 2014 was quick to point out that this image of sexual exploitation coming from just one age group, race or class of man is completely untrue. It happens throughout our society and is rearing its head more and more."
And, of course, tanning salon-owner Nathan’s choice of victim is no coincidence –16-year-old Bethany being outwardly confident and mature, but plagued by doubt and insecurities beneath the surface. Having recently taken an overdose following the exposure of her crush on mum Sarah’s boyfriend Gary, it seems that the troubled teen is unfortunately susceptible to Nathan’s malign influence.
“The pattern is to pick on somebody who’s alone for whatever reason,” agrees Harper. “Bethany appears smart and mature – and, yes, she has experienced an awful lot. But she’s also a little bit of a loner. And it’s important to show that it’s not just naïve people who fall for guys like Nathan. What you see is the skill and manipulation that a vindictive adult male can use to control a younger female.”
At the moment, Nathan’s real mission remains hidden in the shadows, his focus currently being to ingratiate himself upon Bethany through what appear to be acts of benevolence. But is Harper braced for brickbats from fans once his true intentions become clear?
“There is such a thing as a ‘good’ bad guy. Connor McIntyre has recently found out that builders now refer to someone giving bad service as ‘doing a Phelan’. But I really don’t think that kind of thing is going to happen with me. Nathan is going to take Bethany to some dark places, so I’m very definitely holding my breath. have no idea whether I’m going to get pelted with eggs.
“All I hope is that the storyline raises awareness that it’s not just younger children being targeted. Intelligent, educated, informed 16- and 17-year-olds are also vulnerable. For me, it’s a joyous part to play, but it's also an important message to spread.”

Coronation Street spoiler – Nathan arrested for child abduction
Coronation Street’s dodgy newcomer Nathan is arrested next week as part of a police investigation into a missing school girl.
Nathan has been getting his claws into Bethany Platt and her feelings for him at put to the test next week when he’s arrested on suspicion of the abduction of Annabel Adams.
The week kicks off with Bethany in a good mood having been buoyed by the compliments Nathan has been showering her with.
He approaches her at the school gates and kissing her tenderly invites her to the salon at lunchtime to make another video, leaving her thrilled.
On Nathan’s instructions, his partner in crime, Mel, continues to flood the internet with negative comments about Bethany’s last video attempt.
In the salon Mel sets to work on Bethany’s makeup and Nathan admires the necklace he bought her. However they’re interrupted by the police who arrest Nathan on suspicion of the abduction of Annabel Adams.
Later, appearing upset and shaken, Nathan approaches Bethany on the street and makes out he’s been wrongly accused of abduction.
He begs her to lie to the police for him and provide him with an alibi, but will she agree?
Chris Harper, who plays Nathan, explained: “First of all he needs an alibi as this thing with the police has come against his plans but also if she does provide him with one it lets him know that she is further into his web.
“It’s a real knife edge for him; will she or won’t she. If she does, he has got her. If she doesn’t, he’s in hot water.”

Coronation Street's Chris Harper has revealed he has spoken to sex abuse victims to research for his controversial plot with Bethany.

This week, viewers will see Nathan Curtis lure Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) to bed and then start to groom her for sex parties. To ensure the storyline is accurately portrayed, the NSPCC introduced the actor to a child abuse victim.

"She was just 10 when she was groomed online by a man claiming to be 21. She was very intelligent but vulnerable. Her parents were abusive to each other," Harper told the Sunday People.

"When people investigated, it was her word against his. Who would believe her against a 30-year-old father?"

He has also met another victim through Voicing CSA, a charity which helps the abused, as well as speaking to friends in social services and to a police contact who worked on similar cases.

Harper is hoping the chilling storyline will help more victims to come forward.

"Nothing can desensitise you to what survivors of sexual exploitation have gone through. It's the most important storyline I've ever had," he explained.

"It's massively important I get this right for them. We want to reach out to people to let them know help is out there, and to tell abusers they can't get away with it. Half the problem is getting people to come forward."

Friday's (February 17) first episode will see Nathan's friend Mel ply Bethany with alcohol before he takes her back to his flat, offers her a spot on the sofa but leaves his bedroom door open.

"It's not about showing pornography - it's about seeing how callously he manipulates her. He makes none of the first moves. He leaves it for her to do that every time and that is very clever," Harper outlined.

"Because it's 9pm there could be teenagers watching - young people going through it themselves. We want them to start talking about it. That's one of the biggest messages from the charities. They are pleased that we are raising awareness."
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Nathan and Rana both want to help Bethany Platt in Coronation Street
© ITV
Harper has agreed to be an ambassador for Voicing CSA and will be running the London Marathon to raise funds for the NSPCC.

Coronation Street continues on Monday (February 13) at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

Digital Spy

NSPCC reacts to Coronation Street's dark grooming storyline as Bethany Platt's scenes unsettle viewers
"Soaps play an important part in highlighting abuse."
Bethany Platt's controversial new Coronation Street storyline may be dividing the show's own writers - but the NSPCC has now spoken out in support of the dark scenes.
Vulnerable teenager Bethany is currently being groomed by sinister newcomer Nathan Curtis, who was first introduced to the show at Christmas.
Bethany is excited about the prospect of having a boyfriend who's much older than her, but viewers know that it's building up to a shock sex ring storyline which sees Nathan try to "pimp her out" to his friends.
Earlier this week, Corrie scriptwriter Jan McVerry admitted that even some of the show's team have expressed concerns that the storyline is too dark for the ITV soap.
Some fans on Twitter have also mentioned how unsettled they feel while watching the scenes play out.
However, an NSPCC spokesperson told us today (February 17): : "The NSPCC has worked with the writers of Coronation Street to ensure this storyline gives an accurate reflection of how abusers groom their victims.
"We are very grateful to the bravery of Lucie, a victim of child sexual exploitation, who shared her experiences with the writers and actors involved as part of their research for this sensitive storyline.
"Soaps play an important part in highlighting abuse, in giving victims the courage to speak out and in signposting them to help and support."
ITV has also defended the storyline, saying: "We worked very closely with the NSPCC and Greater Manchester Police to get the story right.
"If the story was shown post-watershed then it would not be accessing the young people that we are actually targeting."
Viewers will see the storyline continue to progress over the next few days as Bethany spends the night at Nathan's flat.
Bethany's mum Sarah is later concerned to hear the worrying news and tries to take action by banning her from seeing Nathan again.
Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany, recently explained: "Sarah goes mad. She wants to know where Bethany has been and why she stayed out all night. At first Bethany lies and says she stayed at Mel's and slept on the sofa, so when Sarah finds out from Rana that she actually went off with Nathan, she goes mad about Bethany lying.
"But then Sarah doesn't want to push her away. So even though she tries to ban her from seeing him, she's forced to backtrack and try and talk to Bethany more in order to get through to her."

The Bethany grooming storyline has been well written so far. I hope it continues that way and that the writers don't succumb to the temptation of sensationalism. It's bad enough that such sickening things go on in the first place. :angry:

Christopher Harper is doing a very good job at playing Nathan - every scene of his makes my skin crawl. :(

Coronation Street: "scary" twists ahead in Nathan and Bethany's grooming storyline, reveals actor Christopher Harper

Co-star Lucy Fallon also says that there are "horrible" and "uncomfortable" scenes to come

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Coronation Street actor Christopher Harper has revealed that Nathan's sexual exploitation of Bethany is going to make for dark viewing.

"Bethany is gradually falling in love and Nathan will stick around while he can get something out of it. And that's where it's going to get pretty scary."

Corrie fans have already seen creepy Nathan manipulate Bethany into bed after boosting her self esteem. But this is just the start of a campaign to lure the vulnerable teen further into his web.

Teasing a future plot twist on ITV's Lorraine this morning, Harper added: "We filmed a scene where the two of them are in Nathan's flat, which is where they've been spending a lot of time, and suddenly they're just surrounded by men."

Added co-star Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany: "That was so uncomfortable. It was horrible."

Next week's episodes of Corrie will see Bethany fall further under Nathan's spell when his two-faced friend Mel tries to convince Bethany to get a contraceptive implant, which she then does in secret.

Commenting on why Bethany is especially vulnerable to Nathan's scheme, Fallon said: "Bethany was so vulnerable to begin with. She’s gone from being bullied and then falling in love with Gary and she tried to kill herself.

"She’s just so vulnerable and Nathan has been so charming - he’s told her that she’s so talented and she's just really latched onto that.

"Plus she doesn’t really have a father figure in her life, so she just hangs on every word that he says and believes him."

Said Harper: "Bethany's bright and comes from a good family but she’s very open to the confidence building and the manipulation that Nathan pours on her to build her self-esteem.

"What she doesn’t realise - and what I think the viewers can realise - is that she doesn’t read the signals."

Source: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-...stopher-harper

Mel looks a bit like Shona who I think will help save Bethany

I hope she does not come to any harm

he looks older than sarah what age is he?

Evil Nathan turns violent in dark teen sex ring story
Sinister Nathan has shown another dangerous side to his personality when he violently lashed out at his intimidated assistant Mel in unsettling Coronation Street scenes as his plot to groom and exploit teenager Bethany Platt hit a snag.
Coronation Street is tackling the issue of sex rings through Bethany’s story and viewers have become aware that Nathan intends to pimp her out among his older friends, while posing as her caring boyfriend.
But he worried that his despicable plan is falling apart when Bethany Platt stormed away from him after seeing a picture of him kissing Mel on her laptop. Nathan tried to manipulate Bethany by making out that she was being childish but his bluffed was called when she walked out.
Fearing that all of his sinister groundwork had been undone, Nathan turned on Mel and trapped her hand in the cash register before hissing that she would take Bethany’s place if she made any more mistakes.
The frightening scene confirmed that Mel was also under Nathan’s cruel spell and that she is also painfully aware of the fate that lies in store for Bethany. And it painted an even darker picture of the way Nathan grooms and controls vulnerable young women to exploit them.
But things are about to get even worse with Bethany set to find herself being pushed to have sex with one of Nathan’s friends.
Can she be saved from her nightmare before her life is completely destroyed?

Corrie have confirmed that Chris Harper is leaving his role of Nathan Curtis at the end of the sex ring storyline! Hopefully he will be found out and jailed for a long time

At least one criminal locked away.

Coronation Street spoilers: Nathan Curtis’ evil grooming plot takes sinister turn as he tries to separate Bethany Platt from her family
Nathan Curtis is going to separate Bethany Platt from her friends and family in Coronation Street.
The evil groomer – who is played by actor Chris Harper – will soon step up his plan to pimp 16-year-old Bethany out to his vile gang of sex creep friends, and he starts by alienating her from her friends.
When he realises Bethany’s friend Craig Tinker could be an issue, he tells her that it’s obvious Craig is obsessed with her and she should keep her distance from him.
He convinces her to spend the night at his flat, leading to Bethany having a run in with her uncle David who warns her about her mum Sarah’s reaction.
The next morning a scantily-clad Bethany makes Nathan’s breakfast and takes a photo of her and sends it to his sick mate Neil who texts back making his intentions on the youngster clear.
Meanwhile Sarah rails at David for allowing Bethany to stop at Nathan’s flat and hits the roof more when she discovers Bethany is bunking off school.
A furious Sarah storms into the tanning salon and drags an embarrassed Bethany home.
Later Nathan schemes his way into the family by secretly meeting up with Bethany.
She tells him that she doesn’t care about school and just wants to be with him and he promises to speak to Sarah.
But when he goes to meet Sarah to speak about his relationship with her teenage daughter, he turns on his sick charm and tries to convinces her that he only wants the best for Bethany.
Will Sarah believe Nathan’s lies or will she realise what he’s doing to her daughter and do everything she can to stop it?

Coronation Street’s Chris Harper – Nathan breaks the law when he rents Bethany out
Coronation Street’s Chris Harper has revealed that Nathan’s behaviour so far hasn’t been illegal, but that’s about to change.
Soap fans have been left sickened as the predator set his sights on Bethany Platt and has been grooming her for months, manipulating her so that she’s fully under his spell.
And in upcoming scenes he’s finally going to take his plan for her to the next level when he breaks the law by coercing her into having sex with his friend Neil.
Poor Bethany is unaware that money has changed hands and she’s actually just been pimped out by her own boyfriend.
In a hard-hitting interview Chris has opened up about the struggles to play such a sick character and revealed how he based Nathan on people he’s known from his past.
How would you describe Nathan?
He is not being a paedophile because Bethany is over 16, that is the clever thing Corrie are doing with the line of the law. He is what the Police have termed me a Hebiphile because he likes somebody who is going through puberty which is a bit grim. I secretly, my own take on him, is that he is trisexual and he is in it for other things. I don’t think he probably gets anything emotional out of sex or love. In fact his relationship with Neil, his partner in crime, is more relaxed and intimate than his relationship with Mel who is a longer term an official emotional link. That is my key, going back to how I sympathise with him, the broken aspect of him and his own wiring about intimacy, about affection and kindness and what that means and what love is, is slightly shattered. He doesn’t fall in love with Bethany, he is finding whatever he gets out of it as an ego boost for him. Again I am stealing this partly from how they have written Nathan but also from conversations with police who have described people who have carried this out.
Does he have any redeeming features?
There is quite a following on twitter for his velour jacket and his hair, I don’t understand that. Personality-wise I don’t know. I have just started talking to some counsellors who are carrying out treatment for people who have carried out sex crimes. I am trying to find a motivation and a background is always going to be a route one. They were very clear here that we get to imagine what Nathan’s background was but we are not going to find too much out about it, we are finding out what he does. So trying to find out what motivates him, I go back to certain experiences I have had in my life, people I have known and now wider cases where you start to realise it comes from a history where they were abused, or from somewhere else. There is a crack of empathy or sympathy there but I think what he does to Bethany, he has some many chance in which he can stop or walk away and he never does. I think that is incriminating.
Did you base him on anyone?
There are a number of people that I touch base with. There’s someone I’ve never met, thank god, who’s a case that’s very similar, he’s in prison. Personally, yeah there have been a few situations going back which I can see how someone’s charisma at the time was nice, but a bit weird, and later on it turned out, or even at the time we knew but couldn’t prove it. So basing it from my own experience, a bit.
Can you to elaborate on that at all?
The thing I was always interested in when I was younger, everyone knows the ‘Milky milky’ character from Mary Whitehouse? There was always that image as a teenage boy, y’know don’t be like him. That was what a paedophile look like. Or if you had a dodgy teacher at school you were like ‘he’s a paedo you can tell because he has got long fingernails’. And yet the people I knew having gone through cubs and football as a kid and the people that went to prison because of this never looked like that. Ever. They were football coaches. They were cub leaders they were gymnastics coaches.
So I have often wondered about this weird image paedophiles have and being this funny little man with a combover who lives on his own and eats dog food. That is not what they are. It is your uncle, it is the bloke you trust. And so, I really like that about this story, Bethany does fall in love with him. Initially from a point of charm and care and affection and confidence building and attraction. But his is a front totally.
How aware were you of this type of person before you took the role on?
Nowhere near as aware as now. It has really come into the media’s attention since the Dr Alexis J report that came out after the Rotherham circle in 2012. That triggered the NCA to do a ongoing report and that has now taken the shape of the IICSA which is being following very closely by Voicing CSA UK they have been part of that independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. The big thing, I sort of knew, but you realise as you do more research, that abuse is not limited to a particular group in social class or a racial class or religious, it happens all across the board. In school groups, football groups, the size of it, we are only just scratching the iceberg. It is a secret crime and it often passes by unnoticed because victims don’t report it. Either they don’t dare or they don’t identify themselves as victims because they often blame themselves. It is getting really murky the more you find out about it. But I am really pleased to see the work the NSPCC, Banardos and the government are doing now to start to unearth it.
In doing research were you surprised at lengths people go to in Nathan’s shoes?
You are absolutely right it can take forever. That is the big thing that surprised me there are so many different varieties of evil sexual abuse people have had to go through. The groundwork some people will do. There is case with a guy called David Lean. I am connected with through Voicing CSA and a guy wrote to a boy for three years, he wrote to him and befriended him, chatted to him and eventually because he had been in the family for so long he managed to convince the parents to let him go and stay with him for two weeks. So it is this constant gradual chipping away, it is so predatory. That is not to say the speed at which Nathan has worked on Bethany is not true either, it can move very quickly too. It is really all about manipulation and power.
Were you nervous about the reaction of the viewers, sometimes they find it hard to separate between the soap and reality?
I have been totally warned about people being attacked in supermarkets with frozen chickens and stuff. I was on a train back from Scarborough and a girl was serving me in a tea carriage and her eyes lit up and I thought ‘she doesn’t fancy me she knows me off the telly’ and then her manager came over and he was this big burly Scots guy. And he was like ‘are you being served’ and I said yeah and then he said ‘you’re a monster’ and as he said that everyone in the carriage laughed. I realised then everyone had clocked me but had been too polite to say hi. So I have stopped picking my nose in public because I know people are watching. On the whole people have been really really nice and they appreciate it is an actor playing a part in a story that is much bigger. I have been really moved by some of the people that have come up and said hello.
How confident is he that the plan he has for Bethany is going to work?
It is a risk, but I think Nathan sees it as a risk worth taking. He sees Bethany as valuable enough to take that risk. It is also a sign that he is feeling very confident and it is going really well. The sad truth of it is actual cases exists where the perpetrator has been good friends with the mum or the dad. I don’t think that is quite what Nathan is intending but the writers have really done their homework. There are a lot of times where they get away with what they do because they say things like ‘you know how close I am to your mum, she will be so upset you have done that’. It is just emotional blackmail. I think Nathan is doing it because he feels really powerful and he knows how charming he is.
Is he under pressure to deliver her to his network of men?
Yes. It is a pretty alien network. The more people you meet who are attached somehow to Nathan, the more you realise our rules don’t work. What I noticed talking to friends who work in the police is when you track down who you think is the gang leader they are way down the ladder but there is no way of getting higher up, they are very good at cutting off beneath them. If it is a gang, the levels between Nathan and Neil and other characters is very difficult to see.
Will he get violent towards Bethany?
A lot of these people force you to show allegiance in strange ways. On the other side of that, the damage they do can lead to various forms of harm. Whether he does it or she inflicts it on herself.
Is it financially motivated as well?
That is when it becomes crystal clear it is illegal because he is renting her out. If you start seeing money changing hands that definitely comes into that area of the law. I am not sure I will say how much.
What offence would they actually charge him under?
That is a brilliant question. It is section 48. A lot of people are saying she is over 16 so he hasn’t done anything wrong. But it is illegal to coerce someone into having sex for your own benefit anyway. Under 18 counts as a child in that situation. You are also not allowed to send images of anyone under 18 but it is very difficult to prosecute that because you can’t actually tell the age of the person in the image. But the NSPCC are currently pushing a continued campaign what they call a ‘flaw in the law’ to make the properly illegal to take images of someone under 18. One of the problems is a lot of these crimes come in under a different legal jurisdiction they come in under assault or some other sex crime. What a lot of charities are pushing for is a real clarity so you can proceed with criminal proceedings. It is brilliant Corrie are doing this and they are one part of a movement pushing in that way already. The Government put in £1.3 billion towards mental health in young people and a lot of that will hopefully go towards the 90% of children who have been abused and have mental disorders.
What is the biggest challenge for you?
I have found it at times really uncomfortable. I have become an ambassador for voicing csa uk. They are a brilliant charity opening up a talk group and a community organised by survivors. What has been really amazing is finding out how many survivors have come out due to this survivor. The support network they have set up is so moving. I had an amazing time with a campaigner and survivor from the NSPCC and on the stairwell afterwards I was just talking to their head of press and I just promptly burst into tears on her because it just got too much what some of these poor people have been through. So some of the research has been quite harrowing. The storyline where it is going now is quite hard to act.
Do you feel protective of Lucy on set?
Yeah, god, yeah. I don’t think it is a secret but it was her first on camera kiss in that car. I am not sure what she was expecting but she said to me afterwards how relieved she was, that it was just very platonic, chaste. It wasn’t was Nathan is probably capable of, we have got to leave that to the imagination. This story must not be titilating, it really mustn’t. We really do look after each other on set. The scene where we were in bed together, the crew were really lovely and everything was very calm and quiet. and we were just coming round to doing a very serious scene, but there was going to be this big pause while they changed the lighting, they decided to go for an interesting angle. And in that time I just heard a big pause and I just heard this rustling and from under the quilt we had a maltese, she just passed me a maltese, and then she said ‘I am sorry it is a bit warm’ and we were sat there like two squirrels. But we look out for each other actually. The one I think really hit us both was when we were first in Nathan’s flat and it was me her and Mel and these nine other guys and it suddenly sunk on us in a new way what a weird world we were opening up.
What would you say to people who say this isn’t something Corrie should be tackling?
They are wrong. Unfortunately this is a storyline and these are crimes that effect families and young people, 16, 17, 18 and it could be your uncle. The brilliant thing about the way Corrie are doing it is they are just hinting enough. If you look at they way a lot of these people operate it dos post watershed. You don’t need to see how their webs work, it is not suitable, but bringing it up and raising the conversation.
If I knew half of what I knew now as an 8-year-old, just to know it is wrong and never your fault, never the victims fault. I just hope it won’t ruin anyone’s TV.
What do you hope the message is from this?
I hope there is enough of a message for people who are potentially…..the starting part of this is about power and control and if it comes in through being charming and nice to people and the thin end of the wedge is quite attractive. So I am hoping there is enough of a warning to people who might be potential perpetrators not for Corrie to have to have the local sex predator behind the bar at the Rovers. I think it is much more important that we see this through Bethany’s eyes. And we see it through the families eyes because Beth comes from such a good loving family, a supportive group, she comes from a close knit community. She is not, what so often is depicted as a victim stereotype, she is not like that. She is much more like what is a victim in real life. It is more important to see it from her point of view than Nathan’s.

How hard is it to switch off from the character at weekends?
I think sometimes if you buy a red car you suddenly notice how many red cars there are on the road, as the saying goes. There are so many nice, charming and fun….Nathan’s way is to be nice, charming and fun and making people laugh, suddenly you notice if you are doing that to someone. You notice aspects of your own behaviour and think ‘is this sinister?’. I have talked to a mate of mine who is a counsellor and she said ‘that is absolutely natural of course you will feel like that’. In terms of where he is going and what is his motivation is, I have no links to him at all. So it is quite a fun job as an actor to play someone so duplicitous and then walk away and go and make dinner.
What can you say about his relationship with Shona?
She has scars and various signs of damage from her time with me, but she escaped.
She did the girlfriend bit but didn’t accept it. I think the clock is ticking. He does seem to have let that one go and in concentrating on other matters. But he underestimates people, it is an ego thing for him and he is quite caught up in himself.
Even though Nathan is awful, do women still fancy him and get in touch with you?
It’s been a bit weird. I haven’t had any knickers through the post or anything like that, it’s been nice. I guess they don’t know what’s coming. The comment which struck a nerve was someone on Twitter who put, ‘Why’s Bethany falling in love with this gay, middle-aged man?’. I was like, ‘Middle aged?! Shut up!’. Good point, tune in!
How long will Nathan be around?
He is not going to hang around. It is right I think. The message of the story, what we really want is to tell it right. And for anyone watching it who fears someone they know or themselves will know there is somewhere they can go and there is a very loving network of survivors out there who wil help you get through it. For that reason i think it is very important that Nathan doesn’t get away with it.
You said you are leaving, would it be a hard character to play for a long time?
Yeah. I don’t want him to get away with what he is doing. And I don’t think I would want or couldn’t imagine a place for him in Coronation Street, it would just be wrong. Especially if he got a nice romance and everyone said ‘yeah he used to be a real dodgy bloke but he is nice now’. No, he has got to go down.
What will you miss when you leave?
I will miss Corrie, being here and being part of such a great team. But I’ll be very pleased to be met on the street with, ‘You’re the bloke who’s in prison!’ or, ‘You’re the guy who died really gruesomely’. I’d like him to suffer.

Online speculation that he is Clayton's dad .. that is why Shona knows him .........

I can't see it somehow. From the interview of Julia's, Shona went directly from Nathan's to Billy. I doubt she'd have gone back to him if he was such a bully and bad influence on Clayton.

Then he has to be either Macca's dad or step-dad, depending on which one Corrie are intending to use now. He doesn't look as though he'd target anyone old enough to be Macca's mother. Macca himself must be around 30.

Well, we now know that Shona was his last victim so I don´t think he is connected to Clayton at all ... Shona just had a lucky escape from him

i was hoping gail and shona would meet him or hear about him by now as in his age

Coronation Street: Nathan is going to prison, reveals Christopher Harper - "He's going down!"
The actor reveals that Nathan will definitely get his comeuppance
Coronation Street's Christopher Harper has revealed to RadioTimes.com that Bethany's testimony in court will send sinister groomer Nathan Curtis to prison.
Speaking on the red carpet at the British Soap Awards, Harper said: "The bravery it takes for someone who's been abused to testify against their abuser is not to be understated. We're going to be watching Lucy [Fallon] as Bethany take a massive journey. But I'm very pleased that Nathan won't be around for that."
As for Nathan's fate, the actor added: "He's going down. He's got to go down. He deserves every minute of sentencing he gets."
Recent episodes of the ITV soap saw Nathan get arrested after he was paid by three men who planned to gang rape Bethany. However, the vulnerable teen looks set to stay in her abuser's power in the coming weeks, even going so far as to make an attempt to run away with him.
But show boss Kate Oates has already said that she wants Bethany to find the power to "save herself" from Nathan:
"We'll see Bethany being active in saving herself. This is a story for feminists - I really want her to take some of that power back."


Radio Times

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Originally Posted by Perdita

Coronation Street: Nathan is going to prison, reveals Christopher Harper - "He's going down!"

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Is this a first in soap history? A guilty person actually going to prison?

neil and mel also should be sent down

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Originally Posted by parkerman

Is this a first in soap history? A guilty person actually going to prison?

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I think they knew there would be a public outcry and they would have lost many many viewers if they had let him get away with this

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Originally Posted by Perdita

I think they knew there would be a public outcry and they would have lost many many viewers if they had let him get away with this

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I'm sure you are right, Perdy.

Just Phelan, Todd, Daniel, Ken, Ian, Jane, Phil, Sharon, Kathy....to go now.

Edit: Oh and Deano of course.

Coronation Street's Bethany Platt will go on a "very brave journey" after Nathan Curtis finally gets his comeuppance.

Chris Harper, who plays Nathan, appeared on Loose Women to talk about the ongoing grooming storyline – and revealed that there will be fallout from Bethany's (Lucy Fallon) ordeal.

"Bethany will go on a very brave journey and we will witness that," he said.

"Bethany thinks Nathan loves her and the way he treats her is right and natural, so she defends him. That's so often the case. You have to go through a heartbreaking process of realising that's not true, and it's wrong, and you're not alone, either.

"The bravery of people who come forward and tell the law cannot be underestimated."

Harper added: "It's been tricky filming it and the writing has been exemplary right from the word go. They have really cared about Bethany and about where her journey is going, and also about survivors and victims themselves and really wanting to get this story right for them.

"No matter how tricky some of the filming has been, the crew have been incredible and we've always kept in mind that people have been through this themselves.

"I was talking to my wife during the prep and audition process and she said it would be very important and it's an issue that matters to both of us already, so being part of this is a privilege."

This week's episodes will see the grooming plot reach a peak, as Bethany finally starts to see what's happening as he prepares to take her out of the country.

Nathan will definitely end up in jail when the grooming storyline concludes.

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.

Digital Spy

she probably be all good again after a few weeks and it forgotten when really it should affect her permanently

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Originally Posted by lizann

she probably be all good again after a few weeks and it forgotten when really it should affect her permanently

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In soapland, that is sadly true, these things never seem to affect characters for long but maybe they are trying to show that people can move on from these things and of course, some people can put this behind them faster than others too, especially with the right kind of support

is he returning as part of Lauren's storyline

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...curtis-return/

Returning

Bethany spots Nathan lurking at the reconstruction of Lauren's last known movements and her mind is thrown into overdrive.

Initially believing Nathan was still behind bars, she is shocked to discover he was released from prison some time ago and is working on a building site nearby.

Knowing his history with young girls, Bethany worries that Nathan could be behind Lauren's suspected murder. Determined to get some justice for Lauren, Bethany is forced to confront her abuser.

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Originally Posted by lizann

Bethany spots Nathan lurking at the reconstruction of Lauren's last known movements and her mind is thrown into overdrive.

Initially believing Nathan was still behind bars, she is shocked to discover he was released from prison some time ago and is working on a building site nearby.

Knowing his history with young girls, Bethany worries that Nathan could be behind Lauren's suspected murder. Determined to get some justice for Lauren, Bethany is forced to confront her abuser.

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No she isn't forced to confront him! Just go straight to the police.

i can't believe he is out already

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...urtis-changed/


Coronation Street returning star Chris Harper has weighed in on Nathan Curtis' comeback to the cobbles.

Nathan has returned to Weatherfield amid the disappearance of Lauren Bolton, prompting Bethany Platt to try and connect the dots. In a 2016 storyline, Bethany was abused by Nathan, who groomed her for prostitution before she reported him to police.

Now, he's back in town after being in prison, and he doesn't seem to have shed his old ways, as Harper explained.

"I really don't think prison has reformed him in the slightest. In some ways, I think he's even more clever and more manipulative," the actor said.

"He's hardened, he's aware that he can take a kicking and he's aware of the advantages of getting other people into trouble, so he plays people off against the law."

The soap star said his character is always "on the lookout for more opportunities to exploit".

"Give him half an inch and he'll take a mile. He will spot weaknesses in people and capitalise on them for his own ends," he said. "I think if anything he's got even better at that."

Being back means he's well aware he could run into Bethany, and he soon realises that she's gotten stronger thanks to her support network and that it wouldn't be easy to manipulate her this time around.

"I think he tries to stamp his authority and it doesn't work as well as it did, and that catches him off guard momentarily," Harper said.

"She's definitely grown up. She's been through a lot, but she's been lucky enough to be supported by family and friends and there's a strength she can find in that, so even when she's faced with the snake, she can stand up to it a bit.

"He's not used to that, so not being able to push her over anymore means he'll move on pretty quickly. But I imagine he'll spend a lot of time loitering and making his presence felt."

As to whether Nathan has anything to do with Lauren's disappearance, Harper didn't shut down the possibility of his baddie being involved in some capacity.

"All the signs are there ? the similarities in Lauren's behaviour before she disappeared, her vulnerability, all really ring bells with what Bethany went through," he said.

"It wasn't so long ago that Bethany was at a petrol station on a motorway about to be smuggled over to Europe, so we know that Nathan's ruthless and things could have been even worse for Bethany.

"I think if you watch that slippery slope, you recognise the behaviour. You recognise the situation she was in, and it could definitely be Nathan who's been involved in one way or another."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...eturn-details/

Coronation Street has confirmed the full story details for evil Nathan Curtis's return.

The soap recently revealed that the character, who previously abused Bethany Platt and has been behind bars, will be back as part of the Lauren Bolton disappearance storyline.

Further details about his reappearance have now been unveiled, with scenes airing next Wednesday (May 8) and Friday (May 10) seeing Bethany shocked to spot Nathan in a crowd who gather to watch a police reconstruction of Lauren's last known movements.

Bethany struggles to keep her emotions in, and Daniel returns home to find her in a state of distress. She admits she thinks she saw Nathan at the precinct, though Daniel assures her that he is still in prison and that her mind is playing tricks.

Later on in the week, Bethany shows Daniel a video of the reconstruction, pausing to show him a close up of Nathan to prove that her mind isn?t playing tricks.

She heads to the police station, where DS Swain confirms to Bethany that Nathan was recently released from prison, before Bethany urges her to bring him in for questioning as she's convinced he's Lauren's murderer.

Bethany and Daniel manage to track Nathan down after learning that he is working on a building site nearby. She comes face to face with Nathan as he comes round a corner, before Bethany accuses him of murdering Lauren.

Speaking recently about whether Nathan is involved in Lauren's disappearance, returning star Chris Harper said: "All the signs are there ? the similarities in Lauren's behaviour before she disappeared, her vulnerability, all really ring bells with what Bethany went through.

"It wasn't so long ago that Bethany was at a petrol station on a motorway about to be smuggled over to Europe, so we know that Nathan's ruthless and things could have been even worse for Bethany.

"I think if you watch that slippery slope, you recognise the behaviour. You recognise the situation she was in, and it could definitely be Nathan who's been involved in one way or another."

https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/cor...nathan-future/

Coronation Street star Chris Harper is perhaps best known for his role as evil Nathan Curtis, at the core of one of the ITV soap's most hard-hitting storylines. But now, the actor is taking to the stage this autumn in a new touring production of the celebrated play Art.

Chris stars in the play alongside comedian Seann Walsh and The Crown's Aden Gillett. The trio play three old friends who end up in a debate about the blurred lines between art and reality, following the purchase of an all-white painting.

We recently caught up with Chris, as he explained what audiences can expect from the new production, originally written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Iqbal Khan ? with tickets available to buy here.

"It's a play about three close friends being long-term friends who suddenly realise that they're not all on the same wavelength," he said. "They're not in the same echo chamber. They disagree massively on some really fundamental aspects of each other?s lives, and the cracks not only begin to show, but rip open.

"They're in love with each other, like family, but they suddenly find themselves furious with each other, and they just don't have the vocabulary to deal with it. They don't have a way of expressing themselves."

While Art was originally performed three decades ago, Chris argues that it still resonates with audiences today.

He said: "These days, you can be so angry with people who you care so much about. I think people in the audience will be looking at it and spotting arguments that they've either been in or have wanted to be in but didn't have the guts to.

"I should be telling you it's really funny. But we're right in the middle of rehearsals right now, and we're digging out all the blood, all the anger, all the upset. And it's brilliant."

As the play tours around the country, kicking off in Poole this week and finishing up in Sheffield in October, Chris is full of praise for his castmates. He said: "I've known Aden for years. I've toured with him before, and Seann's an absolute genius. It's brilliant to work with him."

Earlier this year, Nathan made a dramatic return to Corrie after his prison stint for his grooming of Bethany Platt. His reappearance on the cobbles was a shock to not only viewers but to Chris himself.

"Coronation Street is not a place for the journey of a paedophile to recover and become loved," he said. "That's not a thing you should be doing on a soap. And so, I was absolutely adamant that if Nathan ever came back, then he mustn't be forgiven. But I did also know that it was about time he would be coming out [of prison], so I did wonder.

"But when I got the call from the producers, it smacked me sideways. I was shaken, because the story was so emotional at the time, and it made such a difference to my life, the people I met through it. So, coming back to Nathan was quite an emotional journey for me, to be honest."

He continued: "I knew it mustn't be cathartic. We mustn't let him off the hook. He's done his time, and he thinks he should now be free to go and do what he wants. But he comes out, and he hasn't changed. He carries on doing exactly what he?s always wanted to do. So he deserves to go back down, frankly!"

Nathan is now back in prison, but this time for a crime he didn't commit, with Kit planting evidence to frame him for attacking and abusing Lauren Bolton.

While Joel Deering's eventual downfall might lead to his release from prison, Chris has confirmed that viewers won't be seeing Nathan again on screen, at least for now.

"No, I'm definitely not going back," he said. "But never say never, I suppose! I genuinely do not want him to have a forgiveness arc. So, I don't know why he'd keep coming back to Weatherfield. It's Bethany?s journey, not his. It's got to be about Bethany's life, and I think he's done his time.

"But if you could get Sally Wainwright to write something between Joel and Nathan, and it was past nine o'clock, I think it would be worth doing!"

As well as his new Corrie stint, Chris has appeared in several episodes of Call the Midwife since 2023, appearing as Trixie Franklin's twin brother Geoffrey ? a role that he will reprise again in the upcoming festive special.

"It's like being welcomed into royalty, it's amazing,? Chris said. "And they're really lovely, it is genuinely like a family ? all the good sides and the bad sides of being a very tight family. And I absolutely adore being treated like a regular [cast member].

"He's so useful to Trixie in her time of need, but he's also making friends with the nuns. I love the story. I love who he is. I love the fact that he's a helper. I'm in the Christmas episodes. I'm loving it, and the other actors in it are just gorgeous."

Reflecting on the different characters he has played recently, Chris said: "I've been incredibly lucky. I'm just incredibly fortunate, because it's tough in the acting world at the moment.

"What's happened is Nathan's come out of prison [in Corrie] as Geoffrey's arrived to help Trixie in Call the Midwife at the same time, and the 30th anniversary of Art has come up. So, I'm immensely lucky."

So he is still in prison... will he leave Weatherfield once discharged as I imagine Joel will take his place in the food queue before long.... another unfinished storyline, no explanation what is happening with the character??

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Originally Posted by Perdita

So he is still in prison... will he leave Weatherfield once discharged as I imagine Joel will take his place in the food queue before long.... another unfinished storyline, no explanation what is happening with the character??

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yes still in prison as kit planted evidence but you'd think nathan would lodge an appeal as his solicitor responsible

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Originally Posted by lizann

yes still in prison as kit planted evidence but you'd think nathan would lodge an appeal as his solicitor responsible

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His solicitor is Joel, I think.... not going to get much help from him...

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Originally Posted by Perdita

His solicitor is Joel, I think.... not going to get much help from him...

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i meant his solicitor joel was responsible as the real culprit over lauren not nathan