Coronation Street actor Simon Gregson has spoken about the emotional difficulty of filming Michelle Connor and Steve McDonald's devastating miscarriage storyline, revealing he and his wife Emma Gleave have suffered 11 miscarriages themselves.
Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald, discussed how he and co-star Kym Marsh approached the harrowing scenes. He explained that they decided Michelle should portray raw emotion while Steve provided support, with his grief emerging later. The actor said director Tony Prescott was brilliant and special cameras were used to keep the baby out of focus, describing the lifelike baby as shocking.
The 42-year-old actor shared his personal experience, saying: 'We have both been through similar things – Emma and I have lost children, the first one 21 weeks and 4 days – as a bloke being there and witness to all of this, you feel completely helpless.' He noted that men and women grieve differently and that his role was to support his wife.
Gregson explained his approach to saving emotions for filming, skimming scripts initially to preserve real feelings for the day. He praised the director for recognising that first instincts are often best, as multiple takes can be draining. To cope with long, emotional days, the cast made sure to have a laugh each day to return to reality.
The actor expressed pride in the storyline, calling it 'like doing a proper drama'. He acknowledged the tiring nature of the emotional scenes but said they felt they were doing good work. The couple's 11 miscarriages have been previously referenced, with Gregson hitting back at a Twitter troll over the issue.
Anyone affected by miscarriage can contact Sands for support on 020 7436 5881.
