Coronation Street murderer: “I’ve literally been a big bag of nerves”

Tina O’Brien has admitted that she was “really shocked” when Coronation Street producers told her that her character Sarah Platt was responsible for the murder of domestic abuser Theo (James Cartwright).

In flashback scenes to the night of the murder that aired in today’s episode, Sarah was seen looking for Todd (Gareth Pierce) at his flat when a drunken Theo confronted her on the scaffolding outside.

Theo volleyed a torrent of abuse at Sarah, accusing her of still being in love with Todd and branding her a “whore” – but when he advanced on her, Sarah struck Theo with a metal pole, fearing for her life.

The blow sent Theo over the scaffolding to his death on the ground below, leaving a panicked Sarah to call on Gary (Mikey North) for help with the next steps.

“The way he was talking, it sounded like he’d done something to Todd, as in he was dead, that’s how it felt to Sarah, that he’d done something awful to Todd,” explained O’Brien. “Then he said, ‘if you think what I did to Todd was bad, and I loved him, think what I can do to you!’ He was coming towards her, and I think in that moment, as far as she was concerned, it was do or die.”

She continued: “I think she absolutely went into panic mode, shocked, stunned and numb. She obviously didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know how to react and I think, in that moment, she thought ‘I can’t call Kit because of his job in the police’.
And so in that moment, she thought ‘who can I call?’ and it was Gary.”

In the coming weeks, Sarah will continue to struggle with the weight of what she has done and how it is impacting her former flame Gary, who remains the prime suspect in the eyes of her boyfriend Kit (Jacob Roberts).

“It’s just constant guilt, guilt that she didn’t just call the police when it happened, guilt that Kit thinks it’s Gary, and she knows that she’s responsible for that,” she added. “It’s guilt that a man has died, it’s guilt that Summer has spent time in prison.

“There’s a lot of guilt there and I think also, selfishly, she feels like she’s ruined her chance with Kit, because if he knows what she’s done, he might not want her anymore and she so wanted him to be her future.”

As for keeping the secret that Sarah was the murderer, O’Brien admitted: “I’ve literally been a big bag of nerves. It’s been so difficult, I told my mum and I just recently told Scarlett and my son Beau. Yeah.

“It’s really hard having to keep it quiet for that long, especially when you’re online, you’re seeing all the chat on social media, everyone’s saying ‘I think it’s such a body, I think this, and I think that’.

“Actually filming these scenes the weeks after have been the hardest thing I’ve ever filmed because I felt like my face looked guilty constantly and I was like, everyone’s going to know it’s me instantly. So that’s been really difficult.”

Coronation Street continues tomorrow from 7am on ITVX or at 9.30pm on ITV1.