Nick Tilsley and Carla Connor (Alison King) together forever? Not going to happen… Ben Price, who plays Nick, has as good as said so in a recent interview.
“Nick is now the guy no one can look after,” says Ben.
But does Carla turn her back on him – or does he push her away?
There was a brief moment when it really looked like Nick and Carla could make a happy couple.
Now, watching them prepare to get married is like watching a car crash in slow motion… They’re already in a skid and desperately trying to get things back on track.
But they can’t.
Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) knows about Carla’s night with Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill) and could still blow the whistle… Unless Carla tells Nick herself.
But what would that stress do to brain-damaged Nick?
“Their wedding’s coming up,” says Ben in a recent interview. “Nick is extremely excited and extremely stressed.”
Carla doesn’t know that he’s suffering badly again from his brain injury.
“He’s not told Carla about his symptoms returning because he doesn’t want to worry her unnecessarily,” says Ben.
“But the more stressed Nick gets the more he finds himself in a place where he can’t control himself.”
In this week’s episodes, Nick goes to see the consultant.
Nick gets bad news at the hospital
“I get worried and the whole vicious cycle starts all over again,” Nick tells him. “I need to know what’s wrong.”
“It’s very tricky with the consultant. Extremely tricky,” adds Ben.
“Nick pushes for tests to be done immediately and he does lose it. He wants to know that what happened with Leanne [when he hit her] was a one-off and the consultant doesn’t say that.
“When Nick realises he is going to be this man for the rest of his life, that is hard to take.
“He was the guy who looked after everyone and now he’s the guy who no one can look after.”
Only David (Jack P Shepherd) knows Nick is suffering so much again and he has been sworn to secrecy.
“Nick keeps losing his temper out of all proportion to what’s going on,” Ben continues.
“Then there’s a scene with Carla where he loses it again after burning his hand with some boiled water.”
Nick lashes out – and Carla is hurt
He smashes a glass and a piece hits Carla in the face, cutting her.
“It shocks her. I don’t think she has ever seen that side of Nick,” says Ben.
And what side of Nick will she see if she tells him about that night with Robert?
Coronation Street continues on ITV, Monday, May 2, 7.30pm.
