CORONATION STREET

Coronation Street has been working closely with Survivors Manchester to portray the trauma of male rape in its David/Josh storyline. The aim, says producer Kate Oates, is ‘to highlight the culture of silence that surrounds male sexual assault, and issues around male mental health in general.’

It is undoubtedly a worthy subject and one that Hollyoaks handled (the first soap to do so) 18 years ago. I can’t help feeling it’s a little too hot on the heels of the Bethany rape storyline; and, this week, when clairvoyant Rosemary tells Gail that Richard Hillman (one of Gail’s many ex-husbands) has put a curse on the family, it might sit uneasily alongside the seriousness of David’s situation. But, at a time when the abuse of women dominates the media, it’s important to remember that men can be victims too.

At the end of last year, three men spoke about their ordeal in BBC3’s Male Rape: Breaking The Silence, which revealed that an estimated one in six men experience sexual assault, but just ten per cent report it.

There will likely be complaints about the Street’s foray into these difficult waters; let’s see how it pans out before rushing to judge.

SO LONG, FAREWELL?

David faces a tough time ahead following the horrific events of last night, and he won’t be helped by Josh (above left, with David) making light of the situation. Self-blame, embarrassment, guilt, confusion – there are so many emotions to add to David’s everexpanding catalogue. As Sarah said last week, ‘When it comes to baggage, my brother could fill a whole carousel.’ That’s certainly an understatement – he’s a veritable walking Samsonite factory.

His first plan of retreat is to take the kids to Martin’s in Liverpool, where he hears about his

father’s plans to move to New Zealand, and considers going with him. Soapland never ceases to astound me when it comes to the ease with which people leave it all behind to start a new life on foreign shores, having given no thought to money, housing, work, visa requirements and so on. Given David’s salary in a two-bit suburban salon, he’ll be lucky to be welcomed in Salford (trust me, neither Martin nor David are going to qualify in New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant visa category). Add to that a criminal record and ill health, and the closest David will get to anywhere Down Under will be watching re-runs of Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.