Coronation Street has confirmed details of a hard-hitting and emotional storyline about loneliness among older people involving street stalwart Audrey (Sue Nicholls).
In recent months Audrey has become increasingly disconnected from her family - and in scenes shown last week, she was admitted to hospital after overdosing on sleeping tablets.
Audrey insisted to her doctors that the overdose was an accident, but in the episode airing on August 15 she will admit to friends Rita (Barbara Knox), Ken (Bill Roache), Roy (David Neilson) and Claudia (Rula Lenska) that she was trying to take her own life.
"Audrey is very sorry for what she has done and certainly her first reaction was to keep it from her family," said Nicholls, who has been on the soap for 43 years. "Family do, and will always, mean so much to her despite the sniping now and again.
"She also enjoys and is grateful for being independent and living happily in her own home although the one big regret that has contributed to this latest situation is a wish that dear Alfie was still alive and there with her so that they could have grown old and equally doddery together.
"Her family, busy with their own lives, see her down and upset moments as her not being able to cope with the real world and she feels they have started treating her a bit like a child and she started to feel depressed. She is mostly very healthy and together but her depression seemed to take over totally.
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"Once she was able to speak with her friends, and they then opened up about their struggles, she realised how much they had helped her immensely regarding her problems.
"Dr Gaddas prescribed her antidepressants but yet again her stubbornness kicks in and she doesn't take them. Luckily talking to her long standing friends they persuade her to take the doctor's advice and she thanks them sincerely for making life seem lighter in every way.
"Now that is the message that I want people to take away from this storyline, the importance of being able to talk to people you trust about how you feel. Sometimes the young generation might think that anyone over 70 isn't capable of making decisions which in turn can make older people lose their sense of purpose and begin to feel quite useless.
"I am lucky enough to work with people of every age. I have no idea how old many of them are nor do I need to know. I enjoy speaking with them and taking on board what they say about issues we discuss irrespective of what age we all are. So I'd like to say 'Listen Audrey, I'm still learning about life at 79 and I truly hope to continue'.
"I do hope this storyline helps older people reach out and start talking about how they feel and for younger people to be aware of how much the older generation still has to offer."
The storyline was developed in conjunction with the charities Samaritans and Age UK.
Neil Wilkes
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