Coronation Street actress Harriet Bibby has revealed she was left feeling "really emotional" while filming poignant funeral scenes for her on-screen father figure, Billy Mayhew, admitting the process felt "very strange".
A Bizarre and Emotional Return to the Same Church
The scenes, set to air on ITV next week, see Weatherfield residents gather to say goodbye to vicar Billy, who was killed in the Corriedale crash. Unbeknownst to them, his death was caused by Theo Silverton, who left him to die to cover up his abuse of Todd Grimshaw.
For Bibby, who plays Summer Spellman, the filming was layered with off-screen emotion. It came shortly after her co-star and close friend, Daniel Brocklebank, had left his role as Billy. "It was kind of bizarre, because Dan had only recently left," she shared. "I can't remember exactly, I don't know if it was the same week or the week after, so it did feel very strange."
The sense of strangeness was compounded by the location. The cast had recently filmed in the same church for the funeral of Billy's husband, Paul Foreman, making the return for another farewell deeply poignant. "It was like we'd been in that church for Paul and Billy's wedding, and then we'd been in that church for Paul's funeral, and now we were back here again for Billy's funeral," Bibby explained.
Summer's Whirlwind of Grief and Roy's Guidance
In the storyline, Summer is reeling from the loss of another father figure, following Paul's death from MND. "This is the third dad that Summer's lost," Bibby noted. "Billy was the one who was like her proper dad, the one who was always there and took care of her."
Her character's grief spirals, leading her to turn to alcohol, before Roy Cropper steps in to offer support. "She is just in a bit of a whirlwind of grief for a little while, as you can imagine," the actress said. "Roy acts exactly how you imagine Roy would react. He sees a hurt person in need and does what he feels is right in the moment to just get her to speak and calm her down."
Bibby described Summer as being in a state of shock and acting impulsively. "She's not consciously living through this period of time... She's just making decisions in the moment, and she's not really aware of herself."
A Sign from Above and Comfort from Bernie
In a twist, the discovery of Paul's missing ashes, which were stolen months ago, offers Summer a sliver of solace. Bernie, Paul's mother, soon hatches a plan as Summer processes the find. "She’s just gobsmacked," Bibby said of her character's reaction. "It's almost like, maybe Billy is up there and he’s sending her a sign to say, ‘Look, I'm all right. I'm with Paul.’"
While not providing closure, the moment gives Summer a "little hint" that the couple are together. She also finds comfort in her bond with Bernie. "She is like a family member... She finds some relief in that someone's looking out for her and Billy and Paul. We're all thinking about the same people, so it's quite a nice moment."
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
