Corrie's Andrew enjoys 'fantastic' public reaction

Corrie's Andrew enjoys 'fantastic' public reaction
Corrie's Andrew enjoys 'fantastic' public reaction

Coronation Street star Andrew Lancel is proud of the viewers' response to his dark storyline which saw Frank Foster rape fiancee Carla. The 41-year-old actor told The Liverpool Echo he was pleased millions of people tuned in to watch the controversial storyline as he hopes it highlights the issue. Andrew said: "We had 10 million viewers on Monday night. And I've had such a reaction to my work, as has Alison King who plays Carla. The compliments have been fantastic. "Domestic rape happens in real life. So we were aware we had a responsibility and I think we got it right. "It's not the first time a rape has been done on a soap, but it's the first time it has been done like this. And it is certainly the first where the perpetrator is so integral to what happens afterwards. "Carla accused Frank of rape and he was arrested, but he denied it. There will be blood on the Street. "There's a long way to go with Frank." The soap star admitted it had been hard to act out the disturbing scenes. Andrew revealed: "I found it very hard playing Frank who was justifying what he had done. It was the deception that was so disturbing. "Frank said to Carla 'You made me do it'. It was chilling. Then he just breezed back in the flat as if nothing had happened. He's a twisted and evil man."

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.