Coronation Street's Betsy Swain actress Sydney Martin has teased happier scenes ahead for Lisa and Carla Connor-Swain, with Halloween and Christmas on the way. The actress also revealed what lies ahead for her character following her recent stroke.
With fans eager to see more of Swarla, Lisa and Carla, on screen, Sydney told The Mirror that cast members Ali King and Vicky Myers have been busy filming recently. That means there's plenty more from them on screen soon, with Sydney dropping some hints.
Christmas and Halloween ahead
She said: "We've got Christmas which we're filming soon. I need to read through the scripts, but I feel like there is some really nice moments. I've been picking out my Christmas jumpers. I'm always like, 'Can you give me the most obnoxious one, with like a big bow in my hair, or a Christmas tree on my head?', so that's kind of what we've got coming up."
She added: "The mums have had a busy summer, so I think there'll be lots for people to enjoy, and some fun Halloween costumes!"
Last Halloween didn't go well for Lisa and Carla thanks to the meddling of Lisa's ex Becky Swain. As for Christmas, the pair were apart and Carla was kidnapped by Becky.
Happier times for Swarla
Asked if there were happier times ahead, Sydney agreed, before teasing a little more about Halloween. She said: "It's definitely an improvement. I was on holiday, but I saw the pictures of the fun Halloween costumes, so I know they're good."
Sydney loves filming with her co-stars Ali and Vicky, as well as Ryan Connor actor Ryan Prescott. She said: "It just works. I feel like I can never get enough of it. We're always like pitching ideas, like 'Please, can we do this?' But it really is gold dust, because I feel like with soap, casting's quite quick. Obviously there's chemistry tests and stuff, but you are taking a gamble with whether something's going to gel or not."
She continued: "Corrie's supposed to be lived in, these lived-in families, and obviously we saw them merge together, but it just works so well. So any chance I get, it's just so fun. It's just a real privilege to be under their wings."
Stroke storyline awareness
Sydney added that her character's stroke storyline was all about raising awareness of the condition, while also showing there "is no right reaction" towards the person's situation. Sydney hopes scenes involving Lisa, Carla and Ryan will reflect the different ways in which loved ones react.
She explained: "When we spoke to the two mums of the girls we spoke to, they said they were in denial, and they were angry. 'A stroke? That can't happen to someone young,' and so that was something they incorporated into the scripts with Lisa. Just normalising different reactions and how people don't know how to act perfectly. So having Ryan turn into brother mode, and Carla's just jumped straight into it, but then for Lisa, that's her baby."
She added: "But then at the same time, like she's got to step back and let Betsy figure out this new way of life. So it's interesting that we've had this kind of family reaction to everyone, and I'm glad they've shown that."
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
