Corrie star Alex Bain on the 'emotional' exit of Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow actor Alex Bain will "miss" his character.
The 22-year-old star has portrayed the troubled lad on the long-running ITV soap 'Coronation Street' for 16 years, and whilst he's going to miss being on the Cobbles, he's glad Simon has a "happy ending".
Simon is joining his father, Peter Barlow - who was played by Chris Gascoyne - on his boat after battling a drinking problem.
Asked if he's going to miss his alter ego in an interview released by ITV, he said: "Yes, I am, because we have spent so much time together over the past 16 years. We are like two sides of the same coin, in a way. I am so pleased that he has a happy ending, that he is literally sailing off into the sunset with his dad and there is hope for his future.
"I don’t have to grieve for him as he hasn't been killed off. He hasn’t gone to prison. I can just imagine him having a great time with his dad, the two of them drinking orange juice on the boat in the middle of nowhere. I imagine their relationship is the best it has ever been."
Alex admits it was "incredibly emotional" filming his final scene and shared how his parents got to be part of the moment.
He said: "It was incredibly emotional, which is understandable as it has been a huge part of my life. We filmed out of order, so my last scene that I filmed wasn’t Simon’s last scene in the show, but he was in Roy's Rolls saying goodbye to Carla.
"My parents Debra and Paul had come in to watch the scene, and the director kindly suggested that they could be background artists in the café. So there I was discussing Simon’s mum and dad with Carla whilst my own mum and dad were sitting at a table behind me having a coffee, how surreal!
"It was so special for them and me. My mum was my chaperone when I first started, and both of them have been so supportive of me throughout my time on Corrie, so it was a real moment for us all that they are in one of my final scenes."
