Coronation Street star admits most frustrating aspect of Todd and Theo story

If you’ve been screaming at the TV for the residents of Coronation Street to wake up and realise that Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) is abusing Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce), you’re not alone.

Actress Harriet Bibby, who plays Summer Spellman, reveals what she’s found hardest about her character’s role in this harrowing domestic violence storyline.

For months, Todd’s life has been a living hell behind closed doors thanks tohis controlling and toxic partner, Theo.

The raging narcissist has reduced Todd to a shivering wreck with emotional gaslighting and terrifying violence, slowly but surely isolating his partner from the people who care most about him.

The obvious question is ‘why hasn’t anyone noticed?’
Summer Spellman is not only Todd’s close friend, but she’s like a daughter and a little sister all round into one.

Nobody knows him better than her.

You’d think Summer would be the first to notice the warning signs.

Actress Harriet Bibby admits her own frustrations with the story in a chat with Metro, while providing a good explanation for why her character has been in the dark until now.

‘It’s been frustrating because sometimes you want to go just look over there and tune into what they’re saying.

I like to think that Summer is quite an intelligent person and quite tuned in to other people’s emotions.

But then equally, she’s been going through the most horrible period of her life, so you can’t blame her for not seeing it.’
Indeed.

Summer was devastated earlier this year when her adoptive dad and Todd’s ex-boyfriend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) died in the Corriedale crash.

What she doesn’t know however, is that he was left to perish in the flames by a jealous Theo.

How has he got away with keeping such huge, horrible secrets for so long?

Harriet’s got the answers.

‘Theo is a bit of a master manipulator, he controls the narrative and he manipulates situations to make it fit the narrative that he’s trying to put out and people buy into that.

The position that Summer’s in at the minute, she can’t question that narrative because she needs support and she needs comfort.

She doesn’t look for badness in people either so this is going to be so tough for her.’
So far, Summer’s been convinced that Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) is responsible for causing Billy’s death.

However, recent episodes have seen her start to suspect the truth – that Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) was behind the wheel on that fateful night.

Harriet thinks so.’ I do think that Summer believes Theo is capable of murder.

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‘Obviously recently she’s been grieving for Billy and so has been quite blinded by that grief and unable to see anything else that’s happening.

I don’t think she’s seen it in him until this point, but I think when her suspicions do start to come out, it’s like that moment where the penny drops.

Suddenly everything makes sense.’
‘There’s been some odd moments that have been glazed over for whatever reason and now she’s seen it she can’t unsee it.

She does think he’s very capable of doing what he did’.

Summer might just have her to confront him very soon.

In a special single strand episode, Todd finally reports Theo to the police for abuse, while Theo tries to flee Weatherfield before justice can catch up to him.

Harriet gives us a behind the scenes sneak peek into what we can expect from this explosive endgame of Todd’s story.

‘I think it is a really powerful episode.

Debbie Oates, who wrote it, did a fantastic job because it really does tune you into the reality of things like this, you think it’s few and far between but sadly it isn’t.

‘We notice throughout the episode Todd isn’t alone in this, we use the colour purple throughout the episode (the colour of domestic violence survivors) to signify other people who may have been in an abusive relationship in the past but are maybe in a stronger position now, having come out the other side of it.

If you tune into that during the episode, I think it is really powerful, seeing those people alongside Todd’s journey as well.’
So far, Summer only knows about Theo’s emotional and verbal abuse after it was exposed by George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley).

Once she gets the confirmation of just how badly Todd has suffered, it’s sure to devastate Summer.

Harriet gives us some insight into how her character will react to this horrific revelation.

‘I think it’s just heartbreaking for her.

She had 3 dads once upon a time who were all very fit, healthy, strong men.

‘Seeing Paul go through his MND journey and become a much weaker version of himself was really tough.

Then seeing Billy absolutely fine one day and then losing him the next was another thing.

And now the only person that she’s got left is Todd, and again, seeing him in a vulnerable and seeing him hurt is really hard.’
‘I think seeing any parent in a vulnerable position is really tough.

I think she feels heartbroken that this has happened and also maybe a little bit guilty that she’s not seen it and been able to protect him.

I think she’s a bit disheartened at the world right now.’
With Theo’s exit round the corner, his days in Weatherfield are numbered.

Todd’s ordeal will soon be over, so fans up and down the nation can finally relax – and so can Harriet.

She explains that some fans are always asking her when Summer will come to Todd’s rescue.

‘Oh yes, constantly, almost since the story began.

I went to the dentist yesterday and they were like, we need you to sort things out and I’m like, I’m trying my best!’