Alison King reveals details of Carla's return to Coronation Street - and her future with Peter
The character is off screen for the next few weeks after a psychotic breakdown
Alison King has revealed what the future holds for her Coronation Street character Carla Connor when she returns to Weatherfield after receiving medical treatment for her recent breakdown.
Viewers saw fragile Carla suffer a severe psychotic episode over the guilt she felt for the death of Rana Habeeb in the factory roof collapse, and on Monday 3rd June she was moved to a specialist hospital in Carlisle for a period of recovery.
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Speaking to RadioTimes.com on the red carpet at the British Soap Awards 2019, the actress explained how her alter ego will go about rebuilding her shattered life when she eventually reappears on the cobbles.
"She has gone to get help but will come back and it will be a slow journey of reconstructing her life. Carla needs to make big changes and not take on too much stress, she is still in a very insecure and paranoid place. The medication only helps so much and she needs to change her lifestyle."
Will Carla and Peter stay together?
Partner Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) has been at Carla's side while she convalesces, but the pair's volatile on/off romance and his struggle at seeing her suffer has driven the recovering alcoholic back to the booze. Despite their individual demons, King is confident they can overcome adversity if they stick together.
"Will Peter be a help or a hindrance? I think Peter will help Carla…" she smiles.
King's performance in the episode – told partly from her paranoid point of view including a surprise appearance from Bhavna Limbachia as Carla's vision of dead Rana – has drawn praise and the actress herself was pleased at the reaction.
"People that work in psychiatric health have been so positive, said it was spot on, and I'm pleased with that. I just wanted to make it real. I met a lady with psychosis through the charity Mind who was beautiful, she gave me lots of information and from that I tried to draw a thread all the way through Carla's story.
"I hope it makes people talk about invisible illness, mental health and psychosis and how it can happen to anyone, even someone as strong as Carla. We need to talk about it more."
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