Nick’s paranoia over nemesis Peter Barlow threatens to jeopardise his future, Corrie actor Ben Price tells Soaplife…
Nick’s paranoia over nemesis Peter Barlow threatens to jeopardise his future, Corrie actor Ben Price tells Soaplife…
Why is Nick so convinced that Peter is up to no good? “I actually think Nick has reason to suspect Peter’s motives and it’s a feud that can go on forever – they don’t like each other, they know how to rub each other up the wrong way and they’re like chalk and cheese.”
Does he doubt the strength of his relationship with Leanne? “He knows very well that relationships can go wrong – he was going to remarry Leanne before but it didn’t happen, then it all went wrong when he married Carla Connor. He’s been unlucky enough to know that things don’t always work so I think it’s understandable he worries.”
There’s an altercation when Peter picks Nick and Simon up in his cab – what happens? “They start winding each other up. Nick’s struggling to find his place with Simon. He is not his father, but he provides for Simon and he is a stable man for him. Peter is Simon’s father, but he’s not a great father, so both Nick and Peter are coming at it from different angles with Simon in the middle. ”
Does Nick resent Peter being Simon’s real dad? “Peter doesn’t realise what he’s got – he’s had so much and thrown it away and continues to throw it away, but he always gets what he wants. Nick wants so much, but is always unlucky. But, in the end, Peter is Simon's father and Nick has to realise that.”
Does he worry he’ll be humiliated if the truth comes out about the identity of the father of Leanne’s baby? “No, he has been humiliated enough – the Tilsley-Platts are very good at humiliation. Nick’s worries run deeper – that he could lose Leanne, lose the baby and be on his own again.”
How does Nick feel when Peter reveals he knows about Steve and the baby? “Angry because he knows Peter will use it against him. Now, that is humiliation to Nick because it is Peter getting one over on him.”
What is going through his mind as he comes up with a plan to move to Edinburgh, with Simon and Leanne in tow? “He comes up with this plan to give Simon a better life. It is also to test Leanne a bit, but it is a selfish move.”
Does Nick wish he’d never got involved with Leanne’s baby lie? “No, because he loves her and always has. It is true when he says he will always be there for her.”
