Dean Fagan reveals all about tonight's huge Coronation Street surprise...
Corrie fans are reeling tonight from the shock death of Luke Britton, who became killer Pat Phelan’s surprise new victim in a sensational twist.
Having discovered evidence linking Phelan to the disappearance of Andy Carver, Luke confronted the menacing builder in a tense showdown and announced he was going to the police with everything he knows.
But Phelan is not a man to be crossed, as unlucky Luke found out when a high-speed car chase between the men ensued with Pat determined to stop the mechanic exposing him.
Shooting Luke through the car window, Phelan then finished the job by firing at the petrol tank causing the car to explode, killing off the character and notching up another murder.
Dean Fagan, who has kept quiet about leaving Coronation Street after four years as Luke, talks about leaving the cobbles in such dramatic fashion, what he’s up to next, and how his character could be the undoing of evil Phelan…
What made you decide to leave Corrie?
"My decision was based on my age and feeling the time was right to try new things. I’m 29 and before the big 30 I felt I needed to make that break. I’ve been here four years which is a long time to be playing the same role. I wanted to leave before I get too comfortable which is easy to do in this job. Corrie is an amazing job but I am also a person who likes to have new experiences."
What will you miss?
"I will miss the people, it has been an experience that I will never forget, I have learned so much. To me Coronation Street is a microcosm of the whole industry, you experience everything within this environment."
Did you think they would kill Luke off?
"It’s up to the show how they decide to write you out, but this suited me perfectly. Not having the safety of thinking I can go back makes me hungrier for the next thing."
How did it feel watching Luke die?
Strange. I didn’t realise he was going to burn to death, I thought he would die from the gunshot so to watch that explosion and see the car burn was weird. Even though Luke is a character it’s a bit like watching your own demise and seeing the end of four years of your life going up in a fireball is quite a big thing. I felt quite emotional. I was on the hill above where the scene was being shot, like his soul standing there and watching him die…
Dean went out of Corrie as Luke in a big ball of flames!
When did you find out what was going to happen to Luke?
"I originally spoke to our producer Kate Oates in June about leaving at the end of my contract, and said I was prepared to stay a bit longer if it helped them work through the storyline. About I a month later I asked how he was going to leave and she said ‘it’s final’ and I said ‘how final?’ and she replied ‘pretty final’ - in a big ball of flames!"
How did you feel about did your exit storyline?
"It was great to be involved in two interesting stories - the Phelan plot and the racism one. Corrie has rarely explored racism, and the attitudes Luke faces are sadly still around and for me acting out those scenes was not hard, as how he reacted would be my reaction. As for Phelan I was excited to realise I was going to be a pivotal part of the start of his demise, that someone else has found out the truth and he has now killed again which is a desperate act and one that will start more questions being asked. The Phelan era is huge and Luke will play his part in the whole end game, which is brilliant!"
What was it like filming those final scenes?
"Full-on, from mild mannered mechanic to Mad Max! The car chase, the gun shot through the window, it was exciting. We were on location on the bleak moors so it added that extra creepy atmosphere and drama. Alan Grint and John Folkard, the same director and first assistant who filmed my first scenes, also filmed my last scenes so I felt I had come full circle."
What are your Corrie highlights?
"The revenge porn storyline with Luke’s sister Steph is definitely up there, again a great issue to explore. I loved the car racing stuff, and working with Alan Halsall and Mike Le Vell – Kev and Tyrone are iconic and the actors are great to work with. We had such a laugh."
What are you up to next?
"I am in a play in February for Hope Mill Theatre Company, written by a great playwright called Renny Kaprinski. It is called D’Eon, it’s set in 1769 and is about the first openly documented transgender person in European history. He was a French aristocrat sent over by politicians to negotiate with the British when they were at war, it’s a fascinating story. I am playing a guy who is assigned to bring him back to France to be charged with treason. Very different from Luke and Corrie! I want to try out a few things and just keep learning, throw myself in the deep end and see where I go from there."
By Johnathon Hughes
