Carl Webster may be the new face on the cobbles, but he’s already leaving chaos in his wake and according to actor Jonathan Howard, fans haven’t seen the half of it yet.
Speaking to the media, Jonathan revealed that Carl’s arrival in Weatherfield was anything but straightforward, and neither were his feelings for his brother’s wife, Abi.
‘Carl is very impulsive,’ Jonathan admitted. ‘I think he thinks with his trousers. It’s that very animalistic reaction where he meets someone, he doesn’t know who she is; he’s instantly attracted. There’s a real push and pull between that lust and the guilt of knowing Kevin’s sick. He wants that moment with Abi, but he’s constantly balancing it with, “I’m visiting my brother who has cancer.”’
‘There’s 20 years between Carl and Kevin,’ Jonathan explained. ‘Kevin was already on the cobbles, running a garage, starting a family, and Carl’s just a little lad growing up in the shadow. There’s resentment there. He’s not really been a brother to Carl, not in a day-to-day way. He never came to visit in Germany, unlike Debbie. So Carl doesn’t feel like he owes Kevin too much. That’s how he justifies a lot of the things he does.‘He’s enjoying the chase; he’s a thrill seeker, whether that’s women or booze or just making trouble. He wants to feel alive, and Abi gives him that buzz. So yeah – he’s going all guns blazing.’
That led to a kiss that many wonder is the start of an affair, but Howard isn’t so sure.
‘It’s a vulnerable moment. Carl’s dealing with Debbie’s diagnosis, trying to keep that secret, and his emotions are all over the place. He kisses Abi impulsively, but she pulls away quickly. That tells him a lot. He’s convinced himself that he’s in love with her. Like, if he’s going to destroy a marriage, there has to be something real there, right? But once he gets what he wants… we’ll see if it’s love or just lust.’
‘I’ve done Hollywood, but growing up in Lancashire, Corrie was the dream. I actually screen-tested for Gary Windass 20 years ago but didn’t get it, went to drama school instead. And that changed everything. Met my wife. So it all worked out in the end.’
And as for the Corrie stars who left him star-struck?
‘Roy, Eileen, and Steve McDonald. Legends. And of course, Mike — I better not leave him out!’
Coronation Street continues at 8pm on ITV1