Katy Cavanagh explains Julie Carp’s Coronation Street return

Katy Cavanagh has revealed that her Coronation Street character Julie Carp is “frightened” to see her family ahead of her return to Weatherfield.

After seven years on the cobbles, Julie – half-sister of Eileen (Sue Cleaver) – left in 2015 on a lengthy trip with Brian (Peter Gunn), although they subsequently split up and while he returned to the Street, she moved to Wales.

In this Wednesday’s episode, however, she makes a shock comeback after bumping into her nephew Todd (Gareth Pierce) at an event at the Chariot Square Hotel.

“It is a real shock for her to see Todd,” explained Cavanagh, whose comeback will dovetail with Cleaver’s exit in the coming months. “For reasons she is keeping to herself she is frightened to meet any of her family. She is very good at running away and sugar coating things but there is a lot of denial going on.”

“Seeing Todd at the hotel really, brings it home,” she continued. “Really, kind of makes her have to face up to the reality of her life which is really, really tough. I think, for anybody to have to do that, it’s a very, it’s a very brave thing to have to do, yeah, absolutely.

“Todd is lovely to her, she and Todd always had a great relationship and she’s not realised how loved she is. I don’t think she’s got the highest self-esteem in the world. I think she sort of is a bit shocked that people love her as much as they do, and that they want her, and that they want to take care of her, and it sort of overwhelms her. She sort of exists in her own little world, and doesn’t think anyone will care that much and I think that’s what stops her in her tracks and realise she needs to be with those people.”

As for Brian, Cavanagh believes that there may still be some unresolved romantic issues between him and Julie when she returns.

“I think they’ve always just been soulmates,” she said. “She has always had a place and a heart for Brian and they very quickly gravitate back towards each other and she gets great comfort from being with him. Brian is someone who very much affirmed her and allowed her to be who she is, and celebrated her. And I think that that’s just gorgeous. Working with Peter is a massive amount of fun. He’s just brilliant.”

Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7am on ITVX and at 8pm on ITV1.

> Picture Spoilers: This week on Coronation Street (Feb 17-19)