Steve McDonald is determined to battle for his right to be baby Oli's dad in Corrie, reveals Simon Gregson to Soaplife
Having tragically lost his baby son Ruari, Steve McDonald’s determined he won’t lose baby Oliver too and is adamant that he’ll play a part in his baby's life. “He’s very single-minded about getting access to his son, although he doesn’t want to take over and be a full-time father,’ Simon Gregson tells Soaplife. “He just wants Oli to know he’s his dad and he’s there for him. Leanne Battersby isn’t against this as she knows it’s the right thing to do… but Nick Tilsley’s standing in the way!”
How’s Steve been feeling since Leanne (Jane Danson) gave birth to his son? “As soon as Oli was born, Steve was really knocked for six. And when, by accident, he got to hold him, he simply couldn’t keep quiet any longer. The emotions he’d been burying just came flooding out.”
Would he have felt the same if his son, Ruari, had survived? “All his love would have gone into caring for Ruairi, although maybe, as time went on, he’d have started to wonder about Oli.”
Does he regret coming clean? “Deep down, he feels he’s done the right thing by his son. He couldn’t live with the guilt any more. He just wanted to be honest.”
But he’s lost wife Michelle as a result! “Steve’s still living in hope that they’ll get back together and he thinks this is another blip they can eventually overcome. He hasn’t grasped the enormity of this betrayal and how badly it’s affected Michelle [Kym Marsh].”
Does he believe Leanne will give him access to Oli? “He’s confident that Leanne will play ball, so his only hurdle is Nick [Ben Price]. But because Nick doesn’t have anything over Steve any more, he’ll face him head-on. It’s risky, though, because Nick is a loose cannon.”
How does Steve feel when he discovers that Michelle’s sent a photograph of him with Oli to Nick? “This is something that’s really going to rile Nick. It will make problems for Steve as he tries to move things on with Leanne and get access to Oli.”
What happens as Leanne is registering Oli’s birth? “Steve bursts in and he pleads with her to put his name on the birth certificate. This is really important to Steve. He isn’t thinking about the legal rights. He just wants to do the right thing by his son.”
Coronation Street, ITV
