Coronation Street star Rob Mallard has admitted he would not be able to forgive his own character for attempting to murder his father.
The actor, who plays Daniel Osbourne in the ITV soap, was finally unveiled as the person who tried to kill Weatherfield stalwart Ken Barlow.
Speaking about the big reveal in Friday night’s episode, he told how he sympathised with Daniel’s mental struggle, but would not be able to look past his extreme actions.
The story will continue next week as Ken finds himself fearing for his life again as he discovers what his own son is capable of.
Earlier this year, Daniel hit his 77-year-old father over the head with a weighty book, sending him flying down the stairs and leaving him for dead. Ken’s grandson Adam was then blamed for the attack and arrested.
Just months after joining the cast last year, Rob said: “I don’t know if all the family will be able to forgive him – I don’t think I would be able to forgive.
“Daniel came in elevated up to golden child, but through his own actions, he is has gone right to the bottom of the pile. He is really going to have to work his way up to redeem himself with everybody, one by one.”
Friday night’s episode saw Daniel admit his actions to Ken, played by 85-year-old William Roache, while helping to paint his house. Descending into an emotional breakdown, he hid himself in the bathroom and cut himself with a decorator’s scalpel.
REVEALED: Watch this exclusive extra scene to see who attacked Ken Barlow! #FlashbackFriday #Corrie pic.twitter.com/Hv32FjkQC8
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) May 26, 2017
As the programme continued, viewers saw him reveal the extent of his psychological troubles, sparked by his unreliable parents, including the disappearance of his mother.
“I spoke to someone who I know who did used to hurt themselves,” Mallard told the Press Association. I asked them what their reasoning was and, with research that I did online as well, it is always about an element of control.
“When you can’t control anything else, you can control this thing that you are doing to you. It’s similar to the idea of tapping that they tell you to do in therapy to keep control, it’s something you have ownership of.”
But he reassured viewers that his character will eventually be put in touch with somebody who will help him “work on himself”.