WOE WEDDING FOR MARIA?

If Corrie’s Maria gets her heart broken again it will be her own fault, says actress Samia Longchambon

Bride Maria Connor is busy preparing for her wedding in Coronation Street this week – totally unaware that groom Gary Windass is getting cold feet. Gary’s been harbouring strong feelings for his former flame Sarah and last week the pair came close to kissing before they were interrupted.

And it’s not the only secret Gary is hiding from his fiancé – she has no idea he killed loan shark Rick last year. So unlucky-in-love Maria may be facing yet more heartbreak.

‘Despite having suspicions about Gary and Sarah, Maria’s head and heart is with Gary,’ says actress Samia Longchambon, who plays Maria. ‘She trusts him. As always, she wants to believe in a fairytale, and thinks Gary is her Prince Charming. She loves him and thinks they’ll live happily ever after. She’s silly!’

Gary’s intention to move on from Sarah took a knock recently when she found out he’d killed Rick. Gary subsequently saved her from being hit by a speeding car, ending up in hospital himself. They’ve been lying to both Maria and Sarah’s husband Adam about what really happened, but their cover was almost blown by Tyrone when he said he saw Gary chasing Sarah before the accident.

Samia – a regular on the show for 20 years – says, ‘It got awkward at the

hospital when Tyrone gave a different story. Maria asked Sarah why she lied about running from Gary – it was a red flag, but she brushed it aside.’

This week, David tells Gary to make a decision about whether he loves Sarah or Maria, while Sarah is also torn between Adam and Gary.

The ceremony, if it happens, will be an intimate affair in the Bistro, says Samia, 38. ‘Maria has a lovely dress, which I helped to choose. It’s simple, and summery. I didn’t want anything too big and flashy.’

Samia, who is back working now after lockdown, adds, ‘It’s unique filming a wedding under social distancing guidelines and not something I thought I’d ever end up doing. Hopefully it doesn’t look like we’re socially distanced.’

She reckons that even if the wedding does go ahead, Maria finding

out about what Gary did to Rick would mean the end for them – or at least she hopes so! ‘She’d be devastated, especially after her first husband, Liam, was murdered and she later got engaged to his killer before it was revealed. I hope she’d run a mile, but you never know with her.’

So why does mother-of-two Samia, who is married to professional ice skater Sylvain Longchambon, her partner on ITV’S Dancing On Ice in 2013, think Maria is romantically cursed? ‘Given all Maria’s been through, she doesn’t learn from her mistakes and is too trusting,’ she says. ‘I often read the scripts and roll my eyes. I want to shake her. But her romantic storylines are fun to play, and always slightly different. I don’t know if Maria will find happiness. But it’s not likely to be with Gary!’ ■