Daniel & Bethany make it official!
Departing star Lucy Fallon lifts the lid on her alter ego’s doomed romance...
Bethany Platt isn’t even 20 years old, yet she’s already lived through several lifetimes of drama. This week, she’s in the thick of not one, but two explosive situations – both of which could get her badly hurt. However, while Bethany’s risking her safety and her job to expose sex pest Ray, it’s jumping into bed with recently widowed Daniel that has the potential to wreck her life. So, as Lucy Fallon joins us for a chat about her character Bethany, we want to know her take on the Daniel situation…
“It’s a hard one, because I feel sorry for her!” says the actress. “Daniel is charming, intelligent, and he really cares about Bethany – that’s something she’s not had before. She desperately wants to be with him, but she’s very confused. Sinead died not so long ago, and nobody wants Daniel and Bethany to be together. However, Bethany has accidentally fallen in love.
“Things have started to get out of control, though,” continues Lucy. “So if I was to give Bethany advice, I would probably say, ‘Take a step back, it’s not right for you and you’ll only end up getting hurt’.”
While Daniel and Bethany have been growing closer and closer in recent weeks, nothing serious has happened between the grieving widower and his close pal – but that all changes this week. The pair are thrown together when Bethany discovers the truth about sleazy boss Ray and his intentions towards Alya. Knowing Ray’s history, Bethany wants to protect Alya from a potential sexual assault, and calls on Daniel for help…
“What happened in Bethany’s past is the whole reason that she is hell-bent on exposing Ray and letting everyone know who he is, especially because he is such a charming character,” shares Lucy. “Even though she got justice and Nathan went to prison, Bethany still wants to look out for girls like her. She doesn’t trust men, so she is completely focused on bringing down Ray, and it all relates back to what happened to her.”
Bethany pleads with Daniel – who’s previously worked as a journalist for
The Weatherfield Gazette – to help her in her quest, and together they break into the office where Ray’s lawyer has paperwork which could expose him. It’s a risky business, but exhilarating for the duo too. And as their bond becomes ever-stronger, emotionally volatile Daniel gets carried away in the moment and plants a kiss on Bethany – before they end up in bed together.
Daniel cares about Bethany – she’s not had that before!
“Bethany knows deep down that what they are doing isn’t quite right,” explains Lucy. “However, Daniel keeps reassuring her that it is right for them.”
But Bethany’s worst fears come to the fore when Sinead’s Auntie Beth catches them in the act – and is disgusted at what they are getting up to. Although, instead of the situation dampening the pair’s passion, Lucy informs us that it pushes it to the next level…
“After Beth has a go at them, Daniel tells Bethany that they should cool things for a while, and Bethany’s really upset about that,” shares the star. “But then he comes into the Rovers, kisses her in front of everyone, and announces that they are an item! Bethany believes Daniel really does love her and that it’s going to work. She takes what he does as a sign that he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, and gets swept up in it all!”
However, while 24-year-old Lucy isn’t a great deal older than her alter ego, she is wise enough to know that this is likely to end in tears for Bethany.
“Daniel and Bethany have always been really good friends, and I do reckon that they are a good match – just not right now,” she sighs. “If it was further down the line, then they would be good for each other.”
This dramatic storyline paves the way for Lucy’s departure from the cobbles this spring – and it’s a plot that’s seen her step into the love interest role recently vacated by Katie Mcglynn, aka Sinead Tinker…
“I was nervous about that, as Rob and Katie had such a great connection,” she admits. “I felt as if I had big shoes to fill, but Rob and I get on really well!”
The drama shows no sign of letting up for Bethany, and Lucy is loving having such challenging material in her final weeks in Weatherfield. But the star is an old hand at not getting too bogged down in Bethany’s dramas…
“I don’t take it home with me, and I think my long drive helps, as I can put some music on,” explains the actress, who lives in Blackpool with boyfriend Tom Leech. “I get home, have tea, then either have a bath or go running to train for the London Marathon. I have done a few hard-hitting storylines now, so I can become completely detached.”