James Cartwright, who played menacing builder Theo Silverton on Coronation Street, has said he is 'glad he's dead' after his character was confirmed as the murder victim in a recent storyline. Theo met his end on the famous cobbles on Friday (May 1) night, after months of leading a coercively controlling and abusive relationship with Todd Grimshaw.
Cartwright made his Corrie debut in March last year as Theo, who was married to Danielle but began a relationship with Todd. The romance turned into a hard-hitting abuse storyline, with Theo leaving Todd bloodied and bruised in a devastating attack before Todd eventually escaped.
Speaking on This Morning, Cartwright said: 'I'm glad he's dead. The world is better off for less people like that.' He also discussed the challenges of playing such a character, noting that the adrenaline from shouting scenes carried over into his personal life. He recalled a scene where Theo shoved a kebab into Todd's face, saying he had a 'little cry' in his car after filming due to the adrenaline release.
The actor highlighted that same-sex domestic violence had not been explored on the show before, and that the storyline resonated with viewers. He said: 'People have come up to me in train stations and said, "that's happened to my friend". Soap does that very well because it never ends... they've been able to show it in real time.'
