Coronation Street’s Craig Tinker was trapped in his flat during last night’s episode as his horrible Obsessive Compulsive Disorder took terrifying hold of him.
Craig was supposed to be meeting Bethany Platt for a make or break chat about their relationship. The stakes were high. But as he tried to leave for their date, he found his OCD had got its claws into him.
Poor Craig watched the clock nervously as he got ready, ironing his shirt. But when mum Beth interrupted his timings with a request for him to turn the grill off, everything went wrong.
Craig found himself compulsively checking the knives in the block, counting as he turned the nobs on the cooker, and switching off the plugs at the socket.
He checked the iron to make sure it was cool, fiddled with the window locks, and then – just as he would be getting ready to leave – he’d find he had to do it all again.
Eventually, an upset Bethany gave up and went home. And little Liam – Maria’s son – discovered Craig going through his rituals and asked what he was doing.
Frantically, Craig revealed the truth.
“I have to,” he told the little lad. “I’m scared if I don’t do it, Bethany will hate me, or someone with hurt her, or she’ll die.”
Liam thought Craig was like his hero, Hulk, and promised to keep quiet about what he’d found him doing.
Strong stuff.
But later, when Bethany quizzed her friend about why he’d stood her up, Craig couldn’t admit the truth to her.
It was heartbreaking to watch, but the Corrie fans on social media loved the painful story. They agreed that while it wasn’t fun to see poor Craig suffer in such an awful way, it was an important story to tell.
“Well done Coronation Street for tackling the issue,” wrote one viewer. “Corrie addressing OCD with Craig is incredible,” said another impressed fan.
“Shows how it really can affect your life and how serious it is,” added a viewer.
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“Think it’s so good Corrie have brought in this storyline with Craig struggling with OCD. There really isn’t enough awareness and people don’t understand how debilitating it is,” said another.
“Thank you for doing this OCD storyline,” said another interested viewer. “I had no idea how serious it is.”
Other fans commented that Craig’s story reflected their own struggles with OCD. “I live that life,” said one brave viewer.
And others praised actor Colson Smith, who plays the troubled teenager, for his performance.
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“Colson Smith appears to be portraying it brilliantly,” said one fan.
We’d definitely agree with that!
Do you think Craig’s story is an important one to tell? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!