Coronation Street: "Sarah still cares about Gary, but she'd never go back to him" insists Tina O'Brien
But will he call off his wedding to Maria regardless?
With emotions running high between Sarah Barlow (Tina O'Brien) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) over their dark secrets, the old flames shared a charged moment that suggested the spark could be reignited, but O'Brien has quashed speculation the exes will fall back into each other's arms - for now.
"I don't think she would go back to Gary, but I could be totally wrong as that's up to the writers!" the Coronation Star tells RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview. "He really loved her and killed Rick to protect her, but she knows he's bad news. He's toxic."
So why did the pair look like they were on the verge of getting intimate during a heated heart-to-heart in Friday 14th August's episode, before Sarah's brother David interrupted them?
"Everyone makes mistakes," sighs O'Brien. "They had this moment and maybe something more might have happened, but it would've been nothing but a stupid lapse. She is so confused by everything and felt a bit lost.
"In the scene she refers to him telling he still loved her just a few weeks ago, then diving in front of a car to save her life. Their relationship is very love/hate.
"I understood how she got to that point. Originally they were meant to kiss but because of COVID we had to change it and it became more of an emotional moment!"
Gary sought out his former lover en route to his wedding to Maria Connor, having heard Adam Barlow has left his wife as he's convinced she is covering for Mr Windass because she still loves him. Does the handsome Scot have a point?
"There are feelings there, but not romantic ones," counters O'Brien. "Sarah cares about Gary as a human being but feels sorry for him, she doesn't want to be with him. It comes back to her feeling responsible for what he did to Rick, which was to save her, and Sarah not wanting to throw Gary under the bus for being protective.
"She wants him to marry Maria, and she'd be crazy to throw away what she has with Adam."
The scene is set for Gary and Maria's nuptials in the next episode airing on Monday 17th August, but will the wedding go ahead with so much deceit and drama swirling around the cobbles?
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