Julie Lordan catches up with Corrie’s Rob Mallard to talk all things Daniel Osbourne
We catch up with Coronation Street’s Rob Mallard, who tells us how his character, Daniel Osbourne, is dealing with a tough start to the new year
The story so far: Daniel Osbourne has not had an easy time of it in his young life. If anyone in Coronation Street deserves a break it should be him. Abandoned at a young age by his father, Ken Barlow, who felt that Daniel was better off with his mother, Denise, Daniel was soon left to his own devices when Denise scarpered too. However, he is now part of the Barlow clan, married to dull but decent Sinead, and is the brains of the family. However, Sinead is pregnant and having treatment for cancer. Not a great start to married life and things are certainly tough, and about to get a whole lot tougher. In the upcoming episodes, the doctors advise Sinead that delivering the baby prematurely, so she can receive radiotherapy, is the only option. Their son, Bertie, is born and Daniel finds the strain of it all too much, fearing he will lose both Sinead and Bertie. One positive from all of this is that Daniel and Ken form a closer bond, and Ken is there to support his son. Of course, with both Sinead and now baby Bertie in need of medical care (Bertie has a bowel condition) Daniel is going to need all the support he can get. Rob Mallard talks about some of the big issues that are plaguing his character at the moment, well aware that things might get better before they can improve.
What’s going through Daniel’s mind when he is told that Sinead must deliver the baby immediately?
Daniel thinks it is far too soon. He’s afraid that the baby may be too small to survive.
How ready is Daniel to become a father?
He is not ready really. He can read as much as he likes but the reality is almost always different.
When Sinead passes out after giving birth, does Daniel believe that he really could lose everything?
Yes. In that moment, Daniel sees himself having to go on without Sinead and the prospect is terrifying. He couldn’t look after himself without Sinead, let alone a baby too.
Could becoming a father heal his and Ken’s old wounds?
Maybe further down the line. I think Daniel will wake up to some of the resentment he has towards Ken once he sees similar things play out naturally in his relationship with Bertie.
You’ve had some great, emotional scenes with William Roache (Ken Barlow) in the past, but what were these latest scenes about fatherhood like to film?
They were quite tricky because Daniel always pulls away from Ken just at the moment he should really lean in for help. It’s always a pleasure to be on a set with William though.
What do you think about Daniel and Sinead naming their son after Uncle Albert, a nod to Corrie’s history?
I’d expect nothing different. A show like Corrie has so much of its own past to draw on, so it would be mad not to.
How does Daniel feel when the doctor breaks the news about Bertie’s medical condition?
It’s a confirmation of his fears that Bertie might not be developed enough to survive. Daniel is faced with the prospect of losing his family within the space of a short time.
Why does he decide to keep the news from Sinead?
Knowing that there’s nothing she can do and that she needs to focus on getting better herself, Daniel sees it as logical to hide this from her. It doesn’t occur to him that he has lied to her, like she was lying to him when she pretended she was getting treatment during the pregnancy and it turned out she was avoiding chemo.
Does he plan on telling her at all?
I think he would have kept putting it o if it weren’t for a bit of tough love from his sister, Tracy Barlow.
How would Daniel feel if someone else told Sinead about Bertie’s illness before he had a chance to?
Moments like that are a loss of control, so Daniel would be quite angry with whoever did it.
What were the scenes like to lm when Daniel brings in baby Bertie for Sinead to meet for the rst time?
ey were tricky in a technical sense, because of the incubator, and emotionally it was a long day... we were both ready to sleep for a week by the end!
Daniel has had such a turbulent upbringing; what sort of father do you think he will be?
Daniel will be forever second-guessing his methods. He thinks everything he does matters and he will need Sinead to reassure him, and vice versa.
What does becoming a father and having a family ‘unit’ mean to Daniel?
ey are both things he never had, so this is like a second start for Daniel. He will be worried about not following in Ken’s footsteps and would prefer a quiet, cosy life.
You and Katie McGlynn (Sinead) have such a great partnership on screen, but what’s the best thing about working with her?
You develop a shorthand with someone when you’ve been working with them as intensely as this, which is great as it means we don’t need to over-explain where we think our characters are coming from. Plus, she has a great sense of humour.