Coronation Street actress Beth Nixon, who portrays Megan Walsh, has shared a key behind-the-scenes detail from the soap’s intense grooming storyline. The 25-year-old actor discussed her role during an appearance on This Morning with hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, joined by soaps expert Sharon Marshall.
Protecting the Young Actor On-Screen
Megan Walsh manipulates and grooms her 16-year-old athletics student, Will Driscoll, played by 17-year-old Lucas Hodgson-Wale. Recent episodes show Megan’s actions exposed, leading to her arrest, though justice remains pending.
Sharon Marshall revealed: “I didn’t realise until you said it backstage, we’ve never actually seen you kiss the actor—because the actor himself was 17. So you’ve protected the actor on-screen.”
Beth Nixon added: “It’s obviously helped me, it’s made it easier for me. There’s a barrier of the level of intimacy that we have. I didn’t even know that going into filming. It’s really interesting—when I tell people that we’ve never kissed, they’re really surprised. They’re like, ‘You have, you definitely have,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no, no,’ we haven’t. It’s just implied and we get creative in how we’re going to end the scene where there should be a kiss.”
Delving into Megan’s Complex Character
Beth described the role as “such an honour to be trusted with a storyline like that… it’s so delicate. There’s so much in it. I get to work with a lot of the greats there as well. It’s just been amazing. It’s just been amazing from start to finish.”
She portrayed Megan’s mindset: “She’s got like a god complex about herself. She doesn’t think that she’s doing anything wrong, ever. She believes her own lies, massively. Even if she does something and then denies it, in her own brain, she didn’t do it. That’s just the way that her brain works. Massive narcissist and yeah, just completely out for herself.”
Public Reaction and Storyline Impact
Addressing viewer responses, Beth noted: “I’ve been really lucky. I think because I’m a woman… if it were the other way around, I think the public reaction would be a lot different. People are not that bad, you know? I get people saying, ‘Oh she’s naughty, ain’t she?’, but I think because I’m a woman it’s slightly more forgiving.”
She emphasized the storyline’s purpose: “That’s the whole reason we’re doing the storyline—it’s up for debate. When it’s an older woman it’s kind of seen as a ‘rite of passage’ for young boys, but obviously that’s not the case. Will is a child and Megan is an adult and she’s in a position of trust. But the public have been alright, fingers crossed.”
Tense Whodunnit Climax Looms
Megan features in a gripping whodunnit, with a flashforward from February teasing a death on April 23 among five suspects: Megan, Theo Silverton, Maggie Driscoll, Carl Webster, or Jodie Ramsey. Each harbors grudges against Weatherfield residents, keeping fans guessing.
Speculation intensified after Carl Webster’s actor, Jonathan Howard, shared an Instagram photo from the set with co-stars Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs), Vinta Morgan (Ronnie Bailey), and Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster). He captioned it: “Sun finally came out to say hello on the cobbles today…”
Fans reacted: “Oh, so one less murder victim suspect. I’m pleased.” Another wrote: “Ooo… Carl isn’t the one who ends up dead on the 23rd then…” Others echoed: “Oooooo Carl doesn’t die!” and “Well I’m guessing Carl doesn’t die!! Spoiler alert lol.”
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
