Coronation Street's Eva Price is set to unleash her 'mafia wife' side as her family faces serious jeopardy in upcoming storylines, actress Catherine Tyldesley has revealed.
The Rovers Return landlady, known for her pink wardrobe and cocktail nights, has already shown a darker side this year. When her stepson Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson Wale) was groomed by athletics coach Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon), and police lacked evidence for a conviction, Eva took vigilante action with her sisters Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) and Leanne (Jane Danson). She is also among the few on the Cobbles willing to stand up to her partner Ben Driscoll's (Aaron McCusker) murderous mum Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn).
Eva's Protective Instincts
Tyldesley shared her take on what drives Eva to drastic action. 'I think the thing is with Eva, she craves peace and stability, but it doesn't necessarily come her way so much. I think eventually that is what she would like the most. But yeah, I think we've got a few mountains to climb.'
'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.'
Attack by Sam Blakeman
Eva will need that strength when she is seriously injured after being pushed down cellar steps by troubled teen Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan). Sam has been profoundly affected by the Megan Walsh ordeal, after she bullied and harassed him for trying to expose her abuse of Will Driscoll. This drove him to a psychotic breakdown, resulting in him being sectioned. Though he is out and back on the street, his attack on Eva is a major setback in his recovery.
Eva is no stranger to mental health issues, as her ex-partner Aidan Connor (Shane Ward) took his own life in 2018. Tyldesley recalled her initial reaction to the storyline: '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."'
'Eva takes mental health very seriously, after what happened with Aidan, and 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.'
Carl Webster Under Suspicion
Sam isn't the first under suspicion. Police take Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) in for questioning after Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) and Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) conclude Carl robbed the Rovers for cash, with Eva caught in the crossfire.
Tyldesley said Eva doesn't believe Carl is her attacker: 'No, she shuts it down. Something in the back of her head is she deep down knows it's not him, and I think because although Eva and Carl haven't had that many scenes together, whenever they have, it's always been quite a nice exchange.'
'And I think Eva speaks as she finds, especially when it comes down to customers coming in and out of a busy pub. She straight away doesn't believe that it's him.'
Mixed Feelings About Sam
Tyldesley is uncertain whether Eva will be sympathetic towards Sam when the truth comes out, but leans towards her protective instincts. '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.'
'The thing that I love most about Eva is that she can be quite unpredictable. Yes, she's older and wiser and more settled as a mother, but she's still got that really feisty side to her personality. When she makes split decisions, sometimes, as we've seen in the past, that is still there.'
