Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street shares some surprising secrets from Kit Green’s past next week as a special flashback episode turns the clock back to 2007.
Show bosses have cast younger versions of Kit, Mick and Lou to explore the connections between the three characters, who all knew each other as teenagers.
The revelations unfold just as Mick’s thuggish behaviour in the present day is starting to make life very difficult for Kit. Usually ruthless in his approach to work, the local detective seems strangely reluctant to punish Mick for any of his wrongdoing, but why?
Here, Jacob Roberts – who plays Kit – shares some early teasers about what’s in store.
ITV
How did you feel when you found out about this special flashback episode for Kit?
“I was very grateful, because I thought that I must be doing something right with the character if they want to get to know him and find out why he is the way he is. I was very excited to read the script and see what happened between these two characters, Mick and Kit.
“It’s a funny one, because it’s obviously a different life that Kit led back then. He’s changed it around whereas Mick hasn’t, so it was good to find out what happened.
“It just shows Kit wasn’t so innocent back in the day – I don’t know if that leaves you.”
Has this extra insight helped with the development of your character?
“I’ve not seen any of the clips yet, but I was told by [Corrie producer] Kate Brooks beforehand about what actually went on with Mick and Kit, so I knew a bit about the story already.
“Mick has only just come into the show really, but as soon as you start working with someone new, you can add onto the story, broaden it a bit and make it more believable to yourself.”
This week, we see that Mick seems to have leverage over Kit when Kit avoids questioning him properly at the police station. Is Kit scared of what Mick has over him?
“I wouldn’t say Kit is scared, but there is a past that he doesn’t want to bring up again. I suppose in real life it’s like when you have friends from back in the day and you’d never want them to meet any of your friends from today. You don’t want them to tell the stories of what happened back in the day – you want to keep those things secret.
“But also, Mick was Kit’s best mate at 16 and I don’t think that leaves him. He is a bit protective of him at the time – Mick is clashing with Gary, who’s no angel himself – but he knows Mick has got something on him. I think if Mick blackmails him too much, he’ll react back. I think that’s what’ll happen with Kit – he’ll only take so much.”
ITV
Mick and Lou are both now living nearby, so is that concerning for Kit?
“Yeah, I think it’s unsettled Kit because he knows that both of them are trouble. He’s obviously trying to keep the peace in Weatherfield, so if they’re going to be troublemakers, then Kit’s going to have to deal with it.
“But also, Kit knows they’ve got the blackmail on him and they both know what he was like in the past. Kit is no angel, so he’s throwing stones at glass houses, I suppose! He was pretty much like Mick and Lou, so you don’t want your past to come back to haunt you…”
There is a moment when Kit starts to wonder if he might be the biological father of Brody, who’s Mick and Lou’s son. How does he feel about that?
“Kit would know that Brody has just come out of the STC and I don’t think you can change a lad – the damage has already been done. He thinks Mick is Brody’s dad and Kit has got nothing to do with this kid.
“It would come as a shock to Kit and he’d certainly be upset or angry that Lou never told him he had a child. He’s not ready for a kid, we’ve seen that he’s not ready for a baby, so how can he be ready for a 16-year-old lad who’s already learnt from his dad Mick?”
Could this help Kit to empathise more with Bernie, or would he see it as two very different situations because he didn’t know about Brody?
“Bernie’s probably the best person to speak to about it, because again, Kit has got no-one else to talk to. That’s what you will see – it’s little subtle hints that Kit needs Bernie there while he’s talking to Brody. He’ll need Bernie on his side because he’s questioning if he’s doing the right thing, and if he’s feeling the right emotions.
“But I do think Bernie might get a bit too involved in it as well!”
ITV
How have you found your time on Corrie so far?
“I’ve loved it. I think playing a detective constable helps – I’ve got to meet a lot of the cast members and got to work with everyone. Seeing how different people work and trying to develop relationships with other people has been good. It’s literally been half the street up to now!
“The Bernie story was put on hold to do all the police storylines, but then we’re coming back into the Bernie stuff so we’ll find out more about that as well.”
How would you describe Kit’s relationship with Bernie now?
“I think Kit softens each time something happens in the storyline. He softened with Paul and we’ll start to see him soften again in this storyline. Bernie still gets on his nerves – there are moments coming up where Kit feels that Bernie is too much in his life and trying to play the mummy role a bit too soon. There’s still a bit of tension and resentment still there.
“Kit is not completely open to Bernie playing that mum role, but he’s definitely softening to her because he needs that mother relationship in the Street. He’s really got no-one else.”
Are you still enjoying developing the character?
“Yeah – I don’t want to change the character too much, though! I feel like you can change a character and be all happy families, but I do think there’s damage in a lot of characters and there is with Kit.
“With the Brody story, it would be a good to see a side of Kit softening and being empathetic towards someone like that. It’s been a massive character development in the last year and you get the scripts quite constantly, so you don’t really have time to really think about it.
“You act on your instincts and it’s been really good. I’ve been very lucky to have this year and been very lucky to be in this amount of episodes, so keep it coming hopefully!”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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