Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) will not seek revenge on Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) after he pushed her down the cellar steps, as the memory of Aidan Connor's suicide shapes her response. The actress revealed that Eva takes mental health very seriously following the death of her ex and Susie's dad, Aidan (Shayne Ward), who took his own life in 2019.
Shock at Sam as the attacker
Catherine admitted she was shocked when she learned Sam was behind the attack. 'I was really surprised initially, but because of where Sam is at and because of his storyline, once I'd read the script, I was like, "Ah, okay, this makes a lot more sense"', she said.
The incident occurred after Eva, suffering from a 'back to school' bug, was forced to close the pub when Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger) had enough of her complaining. Sam, desperate to find his missing phone, crossed paths with Eva as she emerged from the cellar with boxes of crisps and instinctively pushed her. As Eva tumbled down the steps and lay unconscious, Sam turned to flee but returned, looking down at her body in horror.
Eva's mental health awareness
According to Catherine, Eva will not be wrathful toward Sam. 'Eva takes mental health very seriously, after what happened with Aidan. That was the first time she'd come across a situation like that, and the first time that suicide had affected her. And since then, I think it's really opened her eyes up to how important mental health is. It's a difficult juggle for her because she's got a family to protect. She doesn't want to feel scared, but at the same time she feels deeply sorry for Sam, and she just wants him to get better, so it's finding that balance that trust again, I suppose.'
She added: 'It's a bit of a mixed bag because what happened really scared her, and once she's out of hospital, she's genuinely in a lot of pain. She's kind of 50/50 initially, but very much appreciates the fact as well that it takes a while for certain medications to kick in with certain patients that are in the same position as Sam, and she fully understands that. In her eyes, she wants to take a step back briefly while she recovers, and hopefully Sam adjusts to his medication, and then her first thing will then be to get the family back together because that is always at the forefront of her mind, she can't stand any arguing. That's always her first objective – to keep the family tight.'
Family tested in upcoming storylines
According to Catherine, the family she'll fight for will be tested in upcoming storylines. 'There's a couple of storylines coming up with the family at the forefront, and if Eva thinks her family is in any kind of jeopardy, which they certainly are, she turns into mafia wife style. She will do anything to defend her family, and that's what I love about her. It's my belief that if she had to kill for her kids, if she was pushed that far, she would. I think it's an interesting part of her personality. She's a very, very strong character.'
