Shona’s secret is out in the open
Now Shona’s big secret is out, we ask Julia Goulding how this life-changing revelation is going to affect her Weatherfield future…
The secret connection between Weatherfield newcomer Shona Ramsey and the late, great Kylie Platt has been keeping Corrie’s amateur sleuths speculating for months. But last week, we finally discovered the devastating truth that Shona is the estranged mother of Kylie’s killer, Clayton. Obviously, this is big news, so we caught up with actress Julia Goulding over a cuppa on the set of Roy’s Rolls, where her alter ego works, to find out more…
“There were some weird and wonderful theories from fans about who Shona could be!” grins Julia, who is battling a cold as we chat, but remains full of enthusiasm about this storyline. “My favourite one was that Shona might be Kylie’s mum, even though I’m pretty sure Paula Lane [who played Kylie] and I are a similar age! A lot of people thought I was connected to Callum, but that changed when Shona visited Kylie’s grave. That sparked new speculation as people realised she knew Kylie, though we threw them off the scent a bit.”
The Platt family were destroyed by the actions of Shona’s wayward son after he stabbed the young mum, who then died in David’s arms on the cobbles. It was tragic, and Julia says Shona’s life was also wrecked by what happened.
“Clayton turned from being Shona’s sweet young son to a 16-year-old who killed someone,” she reveals. “She had him aged just 13, and raised him on the Dog & Gun estate. It was just the two of them in a tiny little world until his dad got in touch. Clayton wanted to know more, but Shona tried to keep them apart as his dad was such a bad influence. After a lot of rows, Clayton left home to live with his dad, and now she has to live with the fact that her son is a killer.”
This horrifying turn of events coincided with Shona’s ill-advised relationship with sinister Nathan, who is now dating vulnerable Bethany. So, her connection to the Platt family keeps getting more complicated. Now Gail knows the truth, we’re starting to see the incredulous reaction to Shona’s decision to lie about her real identity. But Julia is optimistic that viewers will be on her side.
“I’m hoping the fans have got to know Shona well enough to hold on to the fact that she is a good egg,” shares the actress. “She’s a survivor and she makes decisions based on self-preservation, so I hope they’ve seen her good heart. Also, Shona didn’t kill Kylie – and although she’s lied, it was for the right reasons.”
While Gail was stunned to find out, it’s going to be a very different story for David. Losing Kylie has torn him apart,
“Clayton turned from being Shona’s sweet young son to a murderer!”
and he had no qualms about planning a revenge attack against Clayton that would have been a suicide mission for him. So, is speculation that Shona might be David’s next love interest completely wrong?
“Right now, we don’t know if they are going to get together, but can you imagine how complicated that would be?” admits Julia. “Knowing David, he’s not one to take things lightly anyway, so I imagine that if he did find out, it would be quite explosive!”
One of the reasons David and Shona are being considered as a great match is her similarity to his dead wife. Is that something that Julia recognises in her tough-talking alter ego?
“At first I was worried about the comparison between them – however they are completely different,” she argues. “I know they both had children young and came from a similar place, but Shona has an optimism about her that Kylie didn’t. I don’t think Shona is as brash as Kylie was. Paula Lane is such a fantastic actor that I feel that I’m not following in her footsteps so much as walking next to them.”
This is 32-year-old Julia’s first TV role, though she cut her teeth on stage and doing voiceover work. But she says it’s been her big ambition to get on Corrie.
“This is my dream job,” enthuses Julia. “I’m from Middleton, north Manchester, but I’ve been working in London for eight years. It’s so nice to come home and be around my family again, and there couldn’t be a better reason. I’ve watched Corrie since I was born, and did the Granada Studios tour on my fifth birthday as I wanted to be on that street. I was fuming because I couldn’t go into the Rovers Return that day – so this is wonderful.”
She certainly couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic part, and Shona’s story will only get more intense as the tangled web she weaves continues to bring her closer to the Platts. Is she relieved that Shona’s secret is out?
“I am, and I’m excited because it was so hard to keep it quiet!” she laughs. “I didn’t tell anyone. And obviously it was the same when I had to move up to Manchester on the sly after I got the part. I couldn’t say anything! I’d have been happy to play even the smallest role on Corrie. I threw my heart and soul into getting this incredible part as Shona. So now, as soon as I get her trusty Doc Martens on, I’m Shona.”
“This is my dream job – I’ve watched Coronation Street since I was born!”