Coronation Street newcomer Ben Driscoll is set to be left 'absolutely devastated' as two major storylines unfold. Actor Aaron McCusker, who has played the role since October, has revealed that Ben will face heartache over his teenage son Will's grooming ordeal, as well as a shocking DNA revelation that tears apart his relationship with his mother Maggie.
The DNA twist comes to light during a heated argument between Ben and Maggie. In the heat of the moment, Maggie blurts out something that doesn't make sense to Ben. She tries to backtrack, but Ben persists, eventually forcing her to reveal the truth: the man Ben always thought was his father is not his biological dad. It remains unclear whether Ben's real father is former character Jim McDonald.
Aaron McCusker explained: 'He's stunned and he's also livid, made worse by the fact he can't go back and talk to the man who he always thought was his dad because he's dead.' He added that Ben learns Alan knew he wasn't the father and still stood by Maggie, which endears him to Alan even more. The revelation leads to a huge argument with Maggie, after which Ben heads to the bar and drowns his sorrows.
Meanwhile, Ben is grappling with his son Will's grooming by athletics coach Megan Walsh. Will remains manipulated into believing they are in a relationship, and Megan is pregnant with his child. Ben blames himself for not noticing the signs sooner. 'He's absolutely gutted, he's been through a stage of blaming himself,' McCusker said. 'He's disappointed in himself and he's going out of his way now to try to make things better but with a teenage son it's not easy.'
The actor hinted that this could be the breaking point for Ben and Maggie's relationship, though he hopes they will eventually reconcile. Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
