Coronation Street's Sam Blakeman looks set to be diagnosed with schizophrenia following a string of emotional scenes that aired during Monday night's episode. The schoolboy, portrayed by Jude Riordan, has been struggling with his mental health after being bullied by teacher Megan Walsh, who was involved in an illicit relationship with student Will Driscoll.
Experimental Scenes Show Hallucinations
In recent weeks, the long-running soap featured experimental scenes where Sam hallucinated an imaginary version of café owner Roy Cropper (David Neilson), who instructed him to carry out evil acts. This led to Sam being sectioned at Weatherfield General. In the latest episode, a nurse explained to his father Nick Tilsey (Ben Price): "This isn't caused by methylphenidates or any drugs. We're looking into the possibility that Sam has schizophrenia."
Nick's Emotional Breakdown
Nick immediately asked to see his son, but the nurse informed him that Sam didn't want to see him specifically. Nick broke down in tears and collapsed into the arms of Toyah in the hospital corridor, with Leanne watching on. Later, at the Bistro, Nick dismissed everyone before having a heart-to-heart with his brother David. David reassured him that lying to get Sam to the hospital was necessary to prevent him from trying to jump out of a moving car.
Leanne, who has become a mother figure to Sam since his mother Natasha was killed in a case of mistaken identity, visited him in hospital. She tried to talk to him, but a special effect showed he had zoned out. A nurse explained that Sam had been started on risperidone, which can cause that effect initially. Finding the right medication could take weeks or months.
Fan Reactions
Earlier this year, fans speculated about Sam's diagnosis on Reddit. One fan said: "Sam has had so much to deal with. His mum was murdered, and he's been bullied by a teacher. It's no wonder his head is mashed!" Another added: "That's quite common for a traumatized teenager." A third commented: "I thought perhaps he was developing schizophrenia since he’s imagining things." However, some fans criticized the storyline, with one saying: "The hallucination scenes are just another weird, unnecessary spin of modern Corrie where it tries to be something it's not."
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
