With growing ratings and storylines creating massive discussion on social media and in person, Coronation Street is on fire at the moment – but there is no denying that the darker tone of some of the stories have divided some areas of the fanbase.
While Coronation Street has always covered dark storylines, from the brutal murder of Ernie Bishop to the rape of Toyah Battersby in a dark alley, current boss Kate Oates has acknowledged that she has taken the soap into darker territory of late – but she has stood by her decision to use the platform of millions to highlight important issues such as sexual abuse and mental health.
With Bethany Platt’s sex ring story winning praise and acclaim from charities, survivors, critics and viewers alike, Kate is hoping to create an equally in depth discussion around male rape and male mental illness with David’s new storyline, which sees him dealing with the aftermath of a sexual attack.
Writing in Radio Times, Kate said: ‘I realise that, at the moment, Corrie is divisive and I will quite happily accept that it’s darker. But one of the reasons we’ve decided to portray male rape in the show is to raise awareness over an important issue. One in ten rapes in the UK will have a male victim, and conviction rates are low.
‘In a character-driven show like Corrie, the audiences engage with stories like this and understand them on a deeper level.With a culture of silence, and lack of encouragement or support around emotional literacy, many men struggle to talk, not just about sexual assault but a range of issues. And this has a huge impact on society.
‘This needs to change. We need to talk about it. And we at Coronation Street, far from choosing to tell a “dark story”, are using a programme’s voice to contribute to this discussion.’
Coronation Street is currently the most watched soap on television, with an average reach of up to 9 million fans who either watch live or catch up later. As ever in soap, the storylines create discussions with polarising opinions but the key is, the talking is happening.
David’s story will begin next week. Coronation Street will not be showing the attack on screen but will instead be focusing on how it impacts David psychologically in the weeks and months that follow.
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