Corrie's Marc: 'Rob pays for trying to con Carla'

Corrie's Marc: 'Rob pays for trying to con Carla'
Corrie's Marc: 'Rob pays for trying to con Carla'

Coronation Street's Marc Baylis reveals to Soaplife how Rob finds himself in a power struggle with Carla when she returns to Weatherfield again - and to the business... How does Rob feel about having Carla back in Weatherfield? "Carla's arrival is a shock more than anything because only a couple of weeks previously she announced she was leaving Weatherfield again for good. As far as he's concerned he's in charge now." Until Carla sacks him for trying to con her! "He can't believe she'd actually do that to him, especially when he did so well running the factory while she was away. The books are much healthier than they have been - and that's in the middle of a recession!" Does Rob plan to fight back? "Oh yes. He decides to hit her where it hurts and takes the clients with him. His plan is to make her realise what an asset he is by showing her what she would be missing. He feels that what he has done for the business far outweighs his trying to con her." Whose side is Michelle on? "Carla's. He can understand why - she has to look after number one - but he does feel she's being a bit disloyal and way too sharp with him. He's also annoyed because he does still have feelings for her." Would Rob be happy running the factory with Carla? "At the end of the day he wants to be working with Carla - she's the only immediate family he has; he wants to be part of the business and a part of her life. The factory has given him a second chance in life after prison, which he was looking for." Carla offers him a deal... Does he take it? "Initially she just offers him his job, back but he wants to be a shareholder and he believes he's bringing enough deals to the table to make that a reasonable proposition." How about this for a proposition: Rob and Tracy Barlow?! "Yes. Tracy comes on to his radar and it's an interesting combination. He sees something of himself in Tracy and finds her intriguing..."

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.