Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley has spoken about Eva Price's reaction to discovering that Sam Blakeman pushed her down the cellar steps of the Rovers Return, as someone else is set to be blamed for the incident.
Viewers of the ITV soap saw the pub landlady fall ill this week, left alone with her partner Ben Driscoll taking their daughter Susie Price to an audition and her mother-in-law Maggie Driscoll on a trip back to Ireland. It was Carla Connor-Swain who encouraged her to close up so she could recover, as she coughed and spluttered from behind the bar.
After Carl Webster helped her tidy up, Eva went down to the cellar to collect boxes of crisps when she heard a noise upstairs. When she returned, she found her nephew Sam looking for his missing phone, which had earlier been confiscated by his dad Nick Tilsley. As Eva caught him by surprise, a panicked Sam tried to get away and knocked her down the cellar steps. Instead of getting help, he stood over her lifeless body before rushing out, and it was Glenda Shuttleworth who eventually found Eva in a state.
Catherine Tyldesley on reading the script
Speaking about her reaction to discovering Sam would be responsible for Eva's near-death experience, Catherine told the Manchester Evening News and other press: "My reaction, when I read that, well, you know, 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!"
Catherine is referring to Sam's recent schizophrenia diagnosis, with him suffering the mental health ordeal after being threatened into silence by Megan Walsh after he discovered her relationship with a teenager, and Eva's step-son Will Driscoll.
"Eva takes mental health very seriously, from what happened with Aidan [Connor], that was the first time she'd come across a situation like that and the first time that suicide had affected her," the soap star shared. "And since then, I think it's really opened her eyes up to how important mental health is."
Eva's balancing act
"So it's a difficult juggling act 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 and finding that trust again, I suppose," she added.
However, it appears Carl will get the blame, at least initially, for Sam's actions, as Debbie Webster will remember seeing him at the scene of the crime. While Catherine confirms that Eva will be quick to shut down Carl being at fault, asked about when the truth does come out, she said: "It's a bit of a mixed bag, because 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."
What's ahead for the Driscoll-Price clan
She also added: "I think the thing is with Eva, she craves peace and stability. But it doesn't necessarily come her way so much. I think that is what she would like most eventually, but yeah, we've got a few mountains to climb before that."
Teasing further what is ahead for the Driscoll-Price clan, Catherine confirmed: "There are a couple of storylines coming up that, again, the family are at the forefront. And if Eva thinks her family is in any kind of jeopardy, which, for one of the storylines, 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. She will literally do anything... It's my belief that if she had to kill for her kids, if she was pushed that far, you know, she would. So I think it's an interesting part of her personality. She's a very, very strong character."
