Street to take on male rape in shock plot

CORONATION Street is to tackle male rape for the first time in its 59-year history.

Five years ago BBC bosses turned down the issue for EastEnders saying it was too difficult to cover in a pre-watershed soap.

But early next year, Weatherfield’s David Platt will become a victim of the serious sexual assault after getting drunk on a night out with new arrival Josh.

The attack won’t be shown but David, played by Jack P Shepherd, will wake next morning in Josh’s bed and realise he has been drugged and assaulted.

He will feel shame and disgust and agonise over if he should report the crime or not. An estimated 12,000 men are raped in the UK every year and more than 70,000 are sexually abused or assaulted. Corrie has worked with charity Survivors Manchester to ensure the plot is accurate.

An insider said: “What’s happened to David will be implied by his reaction and behaviour. With Josh still on the street, David struggles to deal with the shame of what has happened. This is a big storyline for Jack and everyone is determined to get it right.”

Seemingly charming personal trainer and mechanic Josh, who will be played by an unknown actor, arrives on the cobbles in January and gets the residents into shape for a charity boxing match.

The dark plot is unlikely to please lifelong Corrie fan Sir Michael Parkinson, who last month moaned the ITV series had become “more horror than soap”.

Channel 4’s Hollyoaks tackled the issue in 2015. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said its plot was the proudest moment of his career: “Rape of female characters has become a staple over the years yet male rape or the sexual abuse of men isn’t a conversation we have, ever.”