Coronation Street star James Cartwright has confirmed there will be a big change for Theo Silverton and Todd Grimshaw in their romance.
The actor made his debut on the ITV soap as Theo in March, with the scaffolder beginning an affair with Todd in recent weeks after striking up an immediate connection.
The matter was confused, however, by the fact that Theo has an existing family with Danielle and their two children, with the drama intensifying after she discovered her husband’s infidelity.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other media, Cartwright discussed Theo’s arc, explaining why he had kept his sexuality hidden as he shared: “He’s from a devoutly religious background, and that’s what’s made him keep it in. For the first time in Todd, it’s more than sexual.
“I think it’s a man who Theo met and he’s gone, ‘Oh my God, you’re a dear friend, but also I fancy you’, which is how we choose all our partners, right? You just go, ‘I fancy you, but actually we get on and you like me back, and you want to look after me?’”
“That basis is where we sort of build the relationship from. I think he trusts Todd and he sees that it is more than that. He gets to give it a go – and Todd is very patient, loving and kind,” added the star, who continued by discussing the “prevalence” of conversion therapy.
“I was very surprised by how prevalent it was,” said Cartwright. “In my mind, it seems [like] such an outdated thing. It feels bizarre – the idea that you can change fundamentally who you love and who you fancy.
“I think it always reminds me of that scene in A Clockwork Orange, you know, when he’s got his eyes pinned back and he’s being made to watch this movie about violence. It’s sort of, conversion therapy feels a bit like that. It just feels archaic.”
Theo’s horrific past will be brought to light as both Todd and Billy Mayhew sympathise with his plight, though the deep-rooted nature of Theo’s trauma means a common understanding is initially hard to find.
ITV
“It’s like anything in life – things can be explained to you, but understanding [and processing] them is a different thing,” said Cartwright. “Because his parents were privy to the conversion therapy, it’s a much bigger thing.
“If you start to unpack that as a thing, fully, you go, ‘Okay, my mom and dad, the Church, all my friends who I grew up with [and] the family friends are complicit’. I think he knows it wasn’t okay, but he also has to process it for himself – he wants to just be happy.”
Despite Theo’s deep-rooted trauma and Todd’s caring demeanour, the nature of the pair’s relationship understandably rankles Danielle, with Theo soon feeling the pressure of maintaining his family unit.
“He’s a good, honest family man,” said Cartwright. “There’s two versions of it [the scenario]. There’s the version where [Danielle] turns around and goes, ‘I’ve always known’ or ‘Okay, darling, if that’s what you feel, I love you’.
ITV
“And the daughter looks up at you adoringly and goes, ‘Dad, I know it’s a lot of change, but I’m here to support you’. That’s version one, but that’s not good Coronation Street, is it?
“And there’s version two, where the wife goes, ‘I’m going to make this as difficult as possible’, and the daughter goes, ‘I’m going to make this as tricky as possible’. They’re not going to make it easy because they’re not happy. It’s an enormous amount of stress.”
While Theo and Todd’s journey has been tumultuous thus far, Cartwright shared his opinion on the pair’s strong bond, adding that the “enormous sacrifices” from each party would suggest it’s a romance worth pursuing.
“Theo’s leaving his wife and kids for it. It’s a very strong bond,” said the actor. “It’s one of those times in life where it’s ‘all in’. They’re both sacrificing an enormous amount to make it work. Todd is taking all this baggage from this man.
“On the other hand, he’s lost his family [and] he’s getting mocked on the scaffolding site. So they’re all in, and they’re going to really have a good crack at making this work, on this journey to domestic bliss between the scaffolder and the undertaker.”
