Simon Gregson
“Steve should come clean and tell Tracy!”
Steve Mcdonald is stunned to discover his ex-girlfriend Fiona Middleton is Emma’s mum this week – and that he could be her biological dad! The secret begins to unravel after the man Emma thought was her father drops a deathbed bombshell, announcing that he and her mother have never told her the truth about her dad. Tragically, Emma doesn’t get the chance to ask for more information as her dad dies in hospital, leaving her searching for answers from her mum. However, it’s Audrey who begins to piece it all together when she realises Emma’s mum is Fiona – and just what that might mean for Steve!
“It’s a bit mind-blowing for Steve to think that he has a 20-year-old daughter!” admits Simon Gregson, who plays the feckless Weatherfield stalwart. “He hasn’t even thought about Fiona for so long, so to discover that she is Emma’s mum is a real blast from the past for him. However, it is a step too far to imagine he’s Emma’s dad – he really can’t believe it.”
With Audrey conflicted over what to do when she discovers that Fiona is Emma’s mum, she confides in Liz – and the pair quickly realise that Fiona could have been pregnant before she left Weatherfield 20 years ago. And once Liz breaks the news to Steve, he’s dumbfounded.
“Steve doesn’t believe it – he’s trying to work it out, and he feels it would be more likely that his dad Jim would be Emma’s father,” explains Simon. “I don’t think he knows what to think. In all honesty, I reckon he’d be hoping that it isn’t the case…
“Steve will be hoping that he isn’t Emma’s father!”
“What happened with Leanne was bad enough, but Steve’s got his head around that situation and co-parents Ollie with Leanne. But to suddenly have a grown-up daughter is like something from Long Lost Families! How do you process that information?”
With his mind whirling, Steve heads to the airport to pick up wife Tracy and daughter Amy after their holiday, but sees Emma as he drives past. She’s distraught at the bus stop because she can’t afford to buy the coffin she’d like for her father’s funeral. All of a sudden, Steve finds himself handing over enough money to cover the costs.
“Steve starts to look out for Emma and be protective, by helping her with some cash for the funeral,” says Simon. “He feels sorry for her that she is on her own trying to organise it all.”
Meanwhile, Steve is desperate for proof before telling Emma the truth – plus he has Tracy to think of too.
What should his next move be?
“Steve should come clean and tell Tracy he might be Emma’s dad,” muses Simon. “There’s no reason she should have an issue with it as it happened before he knew Tracy. But, of course, Steve will go about it the wrong way, and cause himself many more issues...”