Coronation Street's Faye Windass has made a huge confession over Adam Barlow's attack.
The ITV soap's New Year's Eve episode saw Faye come clean with her brother Gary and his wife Maria Connor, admitting that she was responsible for Adam's brush with death.
Faye knocked Adam out at the Bistro in a case of mistaken identity, believing that he was evil Ray Crosby. She has been hiding her guilt ever since, but revealed the truth when Maria accused Gary of being the culprit.
Digital Spy and other media recently caught up with Ellie Leach, who plays Faye, for her reaction to the bombshell storyline twist.
When did you find out about this twist and how did you react?
"I had a meeting with Corrie's producer Iain MacLeod in August. I don't feel like I've really had a big storyline since Faye's pregnancy a few years ago, so it was great to have a storyline like this ? with twists and turns ? and to be involved so much. I was so excited to get my teeth into it."
Can you explain what led to Faye attacking Adam by mistake?
"It was the anger from what Ray had tried to do in the Bistro. She told him 'no' and he wouldn't listen to her. She'd heard from people like Abi and Craig ? who were all warning her to stay away from him ? and she didn't listen.
"So I think it's the anger of that as well. She's mad at herself because she should have listened when people warned her about him."
Now that Corrie fans know about Faye's guilt, how long can it stay secret in Weatherfield?
"As long as she can keep a lid on it, really. I think Faye is definitely at breaking point. She has got such a huge weight on her shoulders and she doesn't know what to do. She's struggling because she wants to tell people, but if she does tell people, she thinks they won't believe her."
Faye has chosen to confide in Gary. Do you think that says a lot about the strong relationship between them?
"Yeah, definitely. I think throughout all of the years that Faye has been on the street, Gary is the only person who has actually been there for her throughout. Obviously her dad Tim came into the show a few years after she joined. So the only person she's had throughout is Gary.
"Obviously Gary is so angry with Ray. At first he was angry with Faye, because he thought: 'How could she be so stupid to believe a man like Ray?' But then he feels sorry for her, especially that she felt she couldn't speak out. I think she does really trust Gary with her life."
How far would Gary go to protect Faye?
"I think Gary would do anything for her, I genuinely do. Before the Windass family adopted Faye, he didn't have that relationship with anyone. Now that he's got it and it's been there for a few years, she is part of his family and part of his life, even though she is adopted. She is his sister so I think he'd literally go to the ends of the earth for her."
Does Faye feel genuinely guilty?
"I think Faye feels genuinely guilty about the mistaken identity aspect. If it was Ray who she attacked, I don't think she'd be feeling as guilty. Obviously it's wasn't her intention to go in there and be like: 'I'm going to whack you over the head!'
"But all of her anger built up. She wanted to show Ray that she wasn't scared of him. It just so happened that it was Adam rather than him. Faye does feel guilty and she also feels bad for bringing Gary into the situation.
"It also looks worse because of the relationship between Adam and Gary. It's making it look like Gary has done it, but Faye knows that he didn't and it's all on her shoulders. I think the genuine guilt is there, but it's more for bringing Gary into the situation than for the attack itself."
Would Faye trust her dad Tim with the truth at some point? She must be worried about how he'd react.
"Yeah, definitely. I think Tim can tell that there's something not right. He's pestering Faye and nagging her to see if she knows anything about what happened. So I think it could all get too much for her and she eventually will tell him what's happened and why she has been the way she is.
"Faye can see that Tim knows there's something wrong. She feels like, even though she has told Gary, she's still got this massive weight on her shoulders and needs to come clean."
This could be classed as attempted murder. Could this lead to Faye leaving the Street?
"I hope not! If Faye did go to the police and felt like that was the right thing to do, it is a serious crime and you do time for things like that. But if Faye does go to the police and tells them what happened, and then ends up going to prison, I hope that it's not forever!"
Will Faye keep Craig in the friend zone forever?
"I don't think Craig is forever friend zoned. Before all of this happened, there was a little hint of something ? a little romance. I think Faye doesn't want to tell him what's been going on because she feels so upset.
"Faye knows, deep down, that Craig has always had feelings for her and maybe that hasn't been reciprocated by her over the years. She feels bad, because Craig is so nice and she's not really had that before. Faye has never really had someone that treated her with the respect that he does."
How have you felt about exploring Faye growing up over the past year?
"I love playing Faye and I love my job. It's been so nice over the last year, because when I started, I was a child and the character was a child. Now we have this storyline that matures Faye and brings her into adulthood.
"I think it's been great to have this transition of Faye being in school, then college and then going to work at the Bistro. Before all of the Ray stuff, she liked working there.
"It was good to build her career up, but things still don't come without their problems for her. She doesn't have an easy life."
Could Faye settle down with a nice boy like Craig once this is all over?
"Oh, I hope she settles down with a nice boy like Craig, he's so cute! But I think Faye does have an eye for a bad boy. Hopefully this makes her realise that they're not all good guys, they do turn out to be bad and the only good guy is Craig!"
How are you spending New Year?
"Well, what can we do to celebrate? I'll probably just be at home with my family and we'll have Corrie on. I'll just have a chilled one. Usually I like to go away with my boyfriend but obviously we can't do that this year, so I think it'll probably be a quiet one."
Coronation Street continues on New Year's Day at 8pm on ITV.
Digital Spy
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