“DANIEL ISN’T EVIL. HE’S JUST SELFISH!”
With Ken’s attacker having finally been unmasked, Rob Mallard hints at what’s to come for his troubled alter ego…
Our hearts still racing from the tense showdown between Ken and his would-be killer son Daniel, Inside Soap hopped straight on the phone for a debrief with star Rob Mallard (Daniel)!
Hi, Rob. How does it feel now that the truth is out?
Good! I was really looking forward to it so that I didn’t have to keep it a secret. I’ve known Daniel was the culprit since before Ken was pushed.
When did you find out?
Our producer, Kate Oates, told me a month before the attack was filmed. My first thought was, ‘Do I need to freshen up my CV?’. But Kate saw it cross my mind and said, “Don’t worry, you are not going anywhere!”.
Were many of the Corrie cast in on it as well?
No, they weren’t! It was good in a way, as it gave me the sense I was harbouring a big secret. But on the other hand I wished I hadn’t known, because they were all trying to figure it out.
How did Bill Roache (Ken) react when he found out?
He read it in his script, and just nodded in my direction as if to say, “You again, my old foe”! I think he’s enjoying everything that’s coming out of the story.
And what’s it like having Denise Black on set as Daniel’s mum, Denise?
It’s something that I’ve been wanting and hoping for since I got the role, so to have it come off the way it has is brilliant. It’s really not bad having Bill and Denise as your soap parents! There’s so much storyline potential for the three of us.
Daniel could go to prison. How would he cope?
Not very well. I think prison would destroy him…
Do you think Daniel can be redeemed?
The assault on Ken wasn’t premeditated, so absolutely he can come back from it. Tracy calculatedly murdered someone [Charlie Stubbs], and she’s been fine in the long run. And I don’t think Daniel is evil – he’s just very selfish!
Can Sinead and Daniel weather this storm?
I hope so, but I think they both have a lot of things to sort out first. Sinead has gone from a sinking ship with Chesney to another sinking ship with Daniel. But rather than jumping to safety, it looks like she’s going to hop back on board the other boat! After such a traumatic start to her and Daniel’s relationship, it’d be very hard to bounce back.
How would you sum up your first year on Corrie?
Fantastic. My life is completely different from how it was eight months ago in almost every way, and I love it here.