Corrie star shares Maria's worry over Gary and Sarah
Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon has spoken out about her character Maria Connor's fears over her husband Gary Windass' close friendship with his ex Sarah Platt.
With Maria having been through a traumatic time with her teenage son Liam, after he considered taking his own life following his bullying ordeal, Gary has found a confidante in Sarah after speaking to her about his worries for Maria, as well as their marriage.
But when Maria discovered the truth about the pair's secret chats after watching footage of them from a camera hidden in her and Gary's flat, her fears about Gary's bond with his ex began to grow.
Related: Corrie confirms return story for Summer
Confirming in a new interview that Maria is worried about Gary and Sarah, actor Longchambon said: "She's had all the stuff with Liam to worry about and now this has just given her something else to be concerned about.
"She's never been happy about Gary and Sarah's friendship after them previously being together and she's always had her doubts about whether they've still got feelings for each other, so it's another thing making her massively insecure."
As for whether Maria and Gary's marriage can survive this latest hurdle, the star revealed that their relationship could either become even stronger or fall apart completely.
"I think they have built a really good, strong relationship over the last few years, so I think if they get through this they will come out stronger than ever, but it's whether they'll be able to get through it or not," she said.
Related: Corrie to air shock kiss for Nick and Toyah
The star, who recently celebrated her 24th anniversary of appearing on Corrie, also spoke about the strain that this year's events have put on Maria's mental health, explaining that she has been through "a massive roller-coaster of emotions" over what Liam has experienced.
"It's had a massive impact on Maria’s mental health. She's had obsessive thoughts. She won't leave Liam alone for a second," she explained.
"She's not been able to think of anything else. Her work has taken a backseat, and so has her relationship while her focus has been on Liam, obsessively so."
Related: Corrie's Shelley King talks autism diagnosis
Longchambon, who is a mum to two children, added that she can "relate to Maria massively".
"My daughter is the same age as Liam is in the show, so this storyline has been massively relatable to me," she said. "I've found it easy to draw upon those emotions and it is nice to play these stories that feel really real, especially when they're so well written."
It has been confirmed that there is more to come in Maria, Gary and Liam's story, with the soap revealing that Liam's mental health will take a turn for the worse and that Maria's fears will seemingly be confirmed. But will she reach her breaking point?
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
You Might Also Like
