‘Coronation Street’ actor Christopher Harper has confirmed that his character Nathan Curtis will be leaving Weatherfield behind when his current storyline comes to an end.
Bethany Platt is currently under the impression that she’s in a regular relationship with Nathan, unaware that he is actually grooming her to take part in a sex ring.
And while it’s unclear exactly how the storyline will end, Christopher has now revealed that redemption is not on the cards.
He said (via Digital Spy): “He’s not going to hang around. It’s the right decision. What we really want is to tell it right.
“Anyone watching it who fears for themselves or someone else, will know that there is somewhere to go and that there’s a very supportive and very loving network of survivors out there who will help you get through it.
“For that reason, I think it’s really important that Nathan doesn’t get away with it.”
“I couldn’t imagine a place for him in ‘Coronation Street’, it’d just be wrong,” Christopher continued. “Especially if later on he got a romance and people went ‘aww he used to be really dodgy but he’s nice now’. No, he’s gotta go down.”
The storyline began in the New Year and while it has lead to a handful of Ofcom complaints, a number of charities have praised the plot.
In a blog published on the Huffington Post UK, Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan also praised the ITV soap.
He wrote: “The programme makers Granada were right to tackle such a difficult subject. It’s an extremely serious but little-discussed issue and a light should be shone on it.
“This kind of grooming, exploitation and abuse goes on under people’s noses every day so it’s vital that parents and carers, as well as teachers and other professionals, are able to spot the warning signs so children and young people can be protected.”
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