Exact moment Corrie fans will find out who killed Lauren Bolton confirmed by ITV
From criminal boyfriends to burying bodies, Coronation Street's Sarah Barlow is no stranger to trouble. So it’s no surprise when she manages to get embroiled in Lauren Bolton’s murder case.
Actress Tina O’Brien, 40, who has played Sarah on and off since 1999, reveals how the factory manager takes matters into her own hands and frames nemesis Nathan Curtis for the killing, hoping to get him arrested and out of daughter Bethany’s life.
Tina's revelations come as Coronation Street confirms the killer will be revealed on Thursday May 30. Sarah's desperate move comes after convicted sex offender Nathan refuses to leave Weatherfield, despite her bribe of £10,000. When he laughs in her face, something snaps within Sarah and she decides to take him down at any cost.
“She hates him,” says Tina. “He’s an absolute slime, he’s horrible. It’s so difficult because she tries to restrain herself but she wants to rip his face off. She just wants him to go as far away from her daughter as possible.”
Sarah’s big plan is to plant one of Lauren’s hair bobbles in Nathan’s van to incriminate him in her murder, which Roy Cropper is awaiting trial for. It’s a reckless move by Sarah and she could go to prison if she’s caught. But Tina explains that Sarah is desperate to protect Bethany.
“It’s not the best idea,” she says. “It could hugely backfire and it’s completely illegal. She’s been blinded by wanting to protect Bethany and she’s not really looking at the implications of what she’s doing.”
Sarah cooks up her plan after Nathan breaches the terms of his licence and drives his van past Bethany, freaking her out. When Sarah confronts him, he brazenly laughs in her face.
“She’s so upset and angry,” says Tina. “There’s a point where he’s very in her face and he’s very cocky and rude and basically saying he’ll do what he wants and he’s not going to leave Weatherfield. He’s disgusting and she just feels completely helpless and this plan brews in her brain. She is determined to free Bethany of him.”
As Sarah, Tina has filmed all sorts of testing scenes but acting out such hatred is especially tough. “It’s not very nice to try to keep yourself in that headspace,” she says. Viewers will find out who killed Lauren on Thursday (30 May) but Tina says Sarah and Bethany are convinced Nathan is responsible.
“After everything Nathan has put Bethany through, Sarah feels he is responsible and this is justice and if the police can’t find the evidence, she’ll plant it.”
Police still haven’t found Lauren’s body but Tina doesn’t think the teenager will turn up alive. “I do think Lauren is dead,” says Tina.
“If it’s Nathan then he’s very clever and it could be a mystery where she’s never found.”
Bethany has only recently returned to Weatherfield [following actress Lucy Fallon’s maternity leave], so Sarah wants to avoid her running away to escape Nathan’s clutches. “She doesn’t want her to go,” says Tina. “She wants to be able to have a relationship with her.”
Tina is also thrilled to have Lucy back. “She’s brilliant,” says Tina. “She’s one of my favourite people in the world. She has a really lovely energy about her. She works really hard but we have a little laugh in between.” Tina is proud they have revisited Bethany’s sexual abuse storyline, which saw her groomed by Nathan before he arranged for three of his pals to rape her. Tina hopes it highlights how victim’s ordeals don’t always end when their attackers are jailed.
“When they go to prison, it doesn’t mean they go to prison forever and they tend to resurface,” says Tina. “It’s been interesting to look at that and the aftermath of that.”
Tina has enjoyed having “lovely” actor Chris Harper back on set – but admits she feels the fear when he transforms into the sex attacker. “When he switches Nathan on I really don’t like it!” says Tina.
Planting evidence isn’t all that Sarah has been up to recently – she’s also made a drunken move on her ex Gary Windass (Mikey North) after being dumped by bad boy Damon Hay (Ciaran Griffiths).
“She’s a bit lost,” says Tina. “She needs to give her head a shake. It’s interesting to play.”
It’s Sarah’s crazy storylines that keep the actress excited about going to work every day. “I’m contracted for the foreseeable,” she says. “I love my job. I feel very grateful to have a job I enjoy so much – Sarah does make terrible decisions though.”
Coronation Street airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Catch up at ITVX.com
