AGGIE IN AGONY

How will Corrie’s Aggie react when her husband’s lies are exposed? We ask actress Lorna Laidlaw

They’ve been a ray of sunshine since arriving in Weatherfield in June but this week, storm clouds are gathering over the Bailey family. Mum Aggie discovers her husband Ed is hopelessly addicted to gambling, is secretly up to his ears in debt and let their son take the blame for the financial crisis that forced them to move to Coronation Street.

Aggie was told the family had to sell their luxury former home to pay for one of Michael’s failed get-richquick schemes when in fact the poor lad was covering for his dad’s gambling losses. But now it gets so bad that Ed is forced to confess and viewers will be left wondering whether Aggie’s marriage can survive.

‘Aggie knew Ed had a gambling addiction in the past, but he promised he’d never do it again and she believed him,’ explains actress Lorna Laidlaw, who plays Aggie.

‘Michael didn’t want his mum and dad to split up, which was why he took the blame for their money troubles. But after Aggie’s bank card gets declined things start to escalate.’

Aggie’s suspicions are raised, but there’s still time for Ed to borrow £ 5,000 from Michael and his other son James to sort out ‘a cashflow problem’.

The sad truth is finally revealed when Michael catches Ed on a gambling site – and builder Ed breaks down and tells all to Aggie.

Lorna says, ‘When the truth is revealed it’s heart- breaking for Aggie. There’s a scene where she leaves and everyone panics about whether she’ll come back.’

Once she’s over this week’s revelations, Aggie will look to settle Ed’s debts by getting a second job at Roy’s Rolls and later her family

will deal with the news that their footballer son James is gay.

Lorna, who’s 56 and a mother to two grown- up children, joined Corrie after eight years as receptionist Winifred Tembe in Doctors and says it’s ‘one of the highest achievements of my career’.

But that didn’t stop her being nervous. ‘It’s a big thing to have this new family come onto the show and I was apprehensive,’ she says. ‘But because there’s been lots of comedy scenes viewers seem to warm to

them. It helped settle them into the Street.’ Lorna’s biggest hurdle has been changing the way she speaks. ‘Mrs Tembe had an African accent and I’ve been doing it for years. My mouth wanted to speak African, it’s been tough.’

Nevertheless, she’s thrilled to be in one of Britain’s biggest shows. ‘It’s a huge institution. I walk on the set and can’t believe it. I think, “I’m in the Rovers, I’m in Ken Barlow’s house!” It’s wonderful.’