‘Craig’s been Bethany’s rock’

Lucy Fallon chats about her hard-hitting storyline

For weeks we’ve been screaming at our screens, hoping that someone would realise vulnerable Bethany Platt was being groomed by Nathan Curtis and made to have sex against her will. And we cheered when he was finally arrested for human trafficking. Next week’s episode finds Bethany still, understandably, reeling from the CPS dropping Nathan’s case, and well-meaning mum Sarah trying to make her feel better by getting nice policeman, Neil, to pay her a home visit. Noooo. Lucy Fallon explains what it’s been like filming such gruelling scenes, and how Craig Tinker is Bethany’s saviour... How is Bethany feeling since Nathan’s case was dropped? She’s devastated. She totally blames herself. Bethany’s convinced it’s all her own fault for being so stupid. And Neil’s back on the scene... Not only did this man rape her, when Nathan was arrested he made threats to hurt her family if she spoke out. Bethany’s terrified and disgusted by some of the things Neil says to her. He tries to shift the blame onto her, then threatens her again. She’s really shaken by the time he leaves. How amazing has Craig been through this dark time? Craig’s Bethany’s rock. He’s been there to support her and he hasn’t judged her. She feels safe around him – he’s one of the only people she feels she can talk to. How does she feel when Craig threatens to report Nathan? She’s terrified, and she says he can’t tell – she’s convinced people won’t believe her. But more than that, she’s scared about what Nathan could do to her and her family. Which scenes have you found hardest to film? Filming the rape scenes was really difficult, especially with the three men, because although we didn’t see anything happening, we knew what was being implied. And, having met victims of grooming and heard their stories, I was aware of how horrific Bethany’s situation was. It made me want to do it justice for them. Are you surprised by the public interest the story has provoked? The response has been amazing. Initially, there were a few people who said it was a tough watch and should not be on before the watershed. But those people have been outweighed by people thanking us for sparking a debate on this topic and bringing it into people’s homes. Finally, on a happier note, would you like to see Bethany and Craig as a couple one day? I think a lot of people want to see them together, but for now they’re just really close friends. And I think that’s what Bethany needs at the moment: no complications.