MILLIE on Kelly

Kelly attempted suicide after she was convicted of murdering Seb. Is she back at rock bottom?

Yes, and in a way, it could be even worse this time. You wouldn’t think it could be, and I’m not sure she thinks it can, but it is. She is free, but she is locked into this horrible situation and can’t escape from it. She is more alone than ever – at least when she was in prison, she had Toyah and Imran.

Were you surprised when you found out that Kelly’s release wouldn’t be a happy ending?

I expected that she wasn’t going to have the best time when she came out of prison – a lot of people never liked her because they didn’t know her side of the story. But the homelessness and things related to that were quite shocking. I didn’t think they’d go as far as that!

Kelly has become a more complex character as time has gone on. Have you been excited or daunted by the storylines?

A bit of both. It’s been so exciting, but some of the scenes have been tricky. The people at Corrie make you feel really at home, and if you need some guidance, it’s always sorted out, and some things I did struggle with. Something happens

to Kelly when she’s homeless, which comes up in a future episode, and I had to ask the researchers to help me learn how to approach it.

Do you think Kelly’s time in prison and on the streets will change her forever?

Yes, I think so. She doesn’t show it too much externally, but internally she is changed. I think she has PTSD and even just seeing Nina triggers that in her. I think she is changed forever. She can’t trust men, and it’s hard for her to open up to anyone at this point.

Do you feel viewers have warmed to Kelly a bit more?

Yes, I think they have, especially when she was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Everyone was like, ‘This is so unfair!’ I think at first, it was a hard judgement to call – was she a villain or victim? She was probably both.

Kelly said in prison that she would like to help other kids who have had difficult upbringings. Would you like to see her thrive?

Definitely, I think that would be the perfect thing. When I read that scene, it was really heartbreaking, because that was the first time she had made a nod to her future. So that would be great, but she is constantly being pushed down by her own anxieties, and she just needs someone to champion her.