Coronation Street's Samia Longchambon on real-life link to Liam's storyline
Note: This story discusses topics including suicidal ideation/thoughts and bullying.
Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon has revealed her connection to the soap's devastating bullying storyline.
Her character Maria Connor, who she's played since 2000, comes to discover the terrible extent of her son Liam's bullying situation at school in next week's scenes. Things have gotten so bad that he'll consider taking his own life.
Related: Coronation Street's Amy Barlow to demand answers from Tracy and Tommy
Speaking to Digital Spy and other media, Longchambon was asked if she had some advice for anyone experiencing bullying.
"If I'm completely honest, I was bullied throughout my childhood at different times, I was bullied a little bit in primary school, and then I was bullied at high school as well. So I can go off how it was for me," the actress admitted.
"I think that it's important to talk to people, to not bottle things up, and to tell someone. You know, as much as people are scared of being a snitch, or that kind of stigma attached to that, the bigger picture is that you need to tell an adult, you need to tell your friends, you need to just keep talking."
Related: Coronation Street's Maria Connor left devastated over Liam in 31 new spoiler pictures
As for how Maria reacts to Liam's thought process, Longchambon shared: "She's absolutely horrified by it. And just really, it's heartbreaking for her to see what her son's been going through. And that he's not felt that he can talk to her and Gary [Windass].
"I think that's what hurts her as well, she's like: 'Why hasn't he told us, we could have been helping him?'. And he's been going through this all by himself, which just makes it even more heartbreaking."
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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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