Debbie Rush talks to Soaplife about Anna's struggle with her adopted daughter Faye and the girl's birth father - and how it all leads to real heartbreak in Coronation Street...
What’s Anna got against Faye’s real dad Tim?
"He walked out on his little girl when she was two, leaving her with her drug addict mother, and he hadn’t tried to contact her until now. Anna tells him he’s upset the applecart. Faye was starting to settle into a stable family home and now he’s come along Faye’s all confused."
Does Anna regret adopting Faye?
"No! Faye is her little girl and she’s taken her on as her own. Anna’s had a lot of problems with Gary, too, so she accepts that with children you get the good times as well as the bad. But she never regrets adopting Faye. Ever."
Not even when Faye suddenly announces she wants to live with her dad?
"Well, Anna’s absolutely distraught. She can’t believe Faye wants to do this. After everything Anna’s done for Faye, she thought their strong relationship would survive anything. Anna’s very confused."
Does Tim really wants to be a full-time dad to Faye?
"Tim’s quite happy to be a part-time dad, taking Faye to the cinema and buying her sweets, but never actually cooking her a meal. It’s a bit of a fantasy… he never had any intention of Faye actually living with him."
Faye overhears Tim offering to move away from Weatherfield, she goes ballistic and then tells school head Brian that Anna hits her…
"The first Anna hears of it is when she gets a knock on the door from Social Services, who tell her Faye won’t be coming home and will be interviewed by the police. It all comes completely out of the blue. Anna never thought Faye would tell such a bad lie about her mum… She’s shocked. Anna can’t quite believe that she’s taken this little girl on, sacrificed so much for her and loved her like her own, and this is the thanks she’s getting. But we have to remember that Faye’s only 10 and she’s a very confused little girl."
Then Faye admits she lied so she could live with her dad...
"And Anna's relieved because she doesn’t want to be labelled a child-beater. I don’t think Faye realises the consequences of her lie until she’s taken to the police station. She thought she’d tell Brian and then she could go home, pack her bags and move in with her dad. But Anna loves Faye so much that she ultimately just wants what’s best for her and, if she feels that living with her dad is what’s right, then Anna will let Faye go."
Would Anna welcome Faye back into the family if it all goes wrong?
"Of course she would! Faye’s her little girl and she always will be…"
