Coronation Street's Samia Longchambon pays tribute to co-star in bullying plot
Note: This story discusses topics including suicidal ideation/thoughts and bullying.
Coronation Street spoilers also follow.
Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon has praised co-star Charlie Wrenshall over the recent bullying plot.
In recent episodes of the long-running ITV soap, a devastating storyline has been unfolding for Liam Connor (Wrenshall) as a result of a bullying ordeal.
Upcoming scenes will see Liam's mental health hit rock bottom after months of bullying at the hands of ringleader Mason Radcliffe – and he will even begin to contemplate suicide.
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Speaking to Digital Spy and other media, Longchambon, who plays Liam's mother Maria, has paid tribute to her on-screen son.
"It's really emotional," she said. "And Charlie has just been incredible. He's only 14. And it's lovely, because he's played Liam since he was three. So we do have a really close relationship, I've known him pretty much all his life, which makes those scenes easier and harder at the same time, because we do have an emotional connection to each other.
"And it is hard, because my daughter is 14, same age as Charlie. And also I've got a son. And to think that either of them could go through something like that, and any child in the whole country, you hear of it on the news, when kids have ended their life because of bullying, it's a real thing."
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Continuing, Longchambon added: "And as a parent, it's horrible. It's not a nice thing to think about, and having to act it and go through it, your body doesn't know, when we're making ourselves cry, and going through that, it is exhausting. Because your body doesn't know that it's not real, what you're crying about.
"So me and Charlie have had days where we've just been crying all day to each other. We're exhausted at the end of the day.
"But you know, it's good to think that hopefully, this storyline might help other kids who are going through it – and even the bullies to a certain extent, I hope that it might make them think twice about what they're doing to other kids, and how it might affect them in ways that they don't realise."
Coronation Street has been working on Liam's storyline with support from the National Bullying Helpline (0300 323 0169 between 9am-5pm on weekdays, and 10am-12 midday on Saturdays, or email help@nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk).
Further organisations which can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393. Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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