Michelle returns from her visit to Carla and she’s ready to start again – but probably not with husband Steve! Corrie’s Kym Marsh reveals all
Hanging out with best friend Carla Connor has done Michelle McDonald the world of good. Now she’s back in Weatherfield, even though she knows it’s not going to be easy living on the same street as estranged husband Steve, who fathered baby Ollie with Leanne Battersby.
“She could move away for good, but I don’t think she’d let them drive her away from what she considers to be her home with her family and friends,” Kym Marsh tells Soaplife. “So she won’t be going anywhere. But she isn’t about to let bygones be bygones either!”
How is Michelle feeling now she’s back in the Street? “She’s a lot more settled and she’s made peace with herself. But she’s still angry with Steve [Simon Gregson] and she wants what is hers.”
So how does react when Steve suggests marriage counselling? “Michelle makes it very clear she thinks he’s got a right nerve. Her kneejerk reaction is to say, ‘Get lost!’ But then Steve comments that she’s still wearing her wedding ring…”
He’s got a point.… “Michelle can’t really work out why she hasn’t taken her ring off. Obviously, she remembers what they had together, the Rovers is still her home and she misses stepdaughter Amy. She just wants her life to be normal again.”
So will she take Steve back? “It would almost be the all-too-easy option to try to give their marriage another go on her return. Michelle’s very confused and she ends up talking to Robert [Tristan Gemmill] about it.”
Ah, Robert! Just what are Michelle’s feelings for him? “She realises he’s a lovely guy who just wants her to be happy. He’s never been selfish, he’s never tried his luck… It’s the opposite, in fact. She does start to wonder if she has feelings for Robert. She knows how he feels about her and he’s been a great friend, even though she’s treated him badly.”
What does she make of his offer of work at the Bistro? “She knows Robert has no agenda and he just wants to take care of her. Michelle feels the Bistro job is perfect for her. It’s just what she needs and would give her a real helping hand, with the bonus of being in competition with the Rovers.”
What advice would you give Michelle as a friend? “Don’t go to marriage counselling, as Steve suggests! He had so many opportunities to tell her the truth, yet he didn’t. I’d tell her to remember that she’s strong and she should be with someone who deserves her.”
Can Michelle ever truly recover from the awful time she’s had recently, with Steve’s betrayal and the death of their premature baby son, Ruairi? “She will never be able to forget it. If Steve and Michelle ever do reunite, it’ll have to be something huge. So now she’s taking a different path with Robert, who’s not a clown like Steve!”
Coronation Street, ITV
