Coronation Street star Liam McCheyne has opened up for the first time about his character Dylan Wilson's latest storyline, in which Dylan's actions led to girlfriend Betsy Swain suffering two strokes.
In scenes aired last month, Betsy was rushed to hospital after being found collapsed on the kitchen floor of No.6 Coronation Street by Ryan Connor. There, she had another stroke, both caused by a blood clot resulting from neck artery damage due to a temporary loss of circulation.
Doctors later explained the cause to Betsy, who had to tell her mum, Lisa Connor-Swain, that Dylan had strangled her during consensual sex, despite both believing the pressure applied was minimal. Betsy was told she could make a "good recovery," but she pleaded with her mum, DS Connor-Swain, to leave Dylan alone after she reported him to police. Dylan could have faced charges if Betsy had given a statement, which she didn't.
Liam McCheyne's Initial Reaction
Speaking about his reaction to learning about the storyline, Liam, who debuted in Corrie in 2011, said: "It was definitely a mixture of excitement to portray such an important storyline and of course nerves. Because Sydney [Martin, who plays Betsy] and I work together quite a lot, there wasn't any awkwardness between us, which was a massive help."
He added: "We both looked at it and thought, 'Right, let’s really get our teeth stuck into this!' But given the weight of the subject, those nerves were definitely there."
Liam revealed: "We actually got called in separately for a storyline chat. Initially, I just thought, 'Oh great, something is coming up, let's see what they have planned.' Then I had a meeting with the producer, Kate Brooks. I walked out thinking, 'Okay, that is completely not what I expected!' Then we cracked straight on with it."
Working with Charities for Accuracy
To ensure medical accuracy and raise awareness of strangulation risks, the soap worked with the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS), The Stroke Association, and Safeline. Experts reviewed scripts and met with the production team and actors to ensure the storyline was portrayed responsibly.
The storyline coincides with a recent IFAS study of over 4,100 young adults (aged 16-34) revealing that over 55% have either been strangled or strangled someone else during sex. The data highlights that non-fatal strangulation is a significant risk for young adults, with high prevalence among the 16-20 age group, showing that hidden injury is widespread and often misunderstood.
Public Reaction and Awareness
Asked about public reaction, Liam shared: "To be honest, I try to stay off social media and I get a bit scared watching my own work back! But I know the amount of conversation this has started is a massive wake-up call. It’s got people talking. You see comments where someone says, 'This would never happen,' and someone else replies, 'Well, actually, yes it does!'"
He continued: "The generational difference in the response has been fascinating. I didn't realise how widespread this issue was among young people. Our research with IFAS showed that there’s statistics showing how huge this trend is within the 16-24 age group. Dylan and Betsy are right in the middle of that demographic, which made them the right characters to deliver this message."
