Coronation Street are set to air scenes in which Liam Connor will be seen contemplating killing himself. His mental health hits rock bottom after suffering months of bullying by ringleader Mason Radcliffe.
As Liam has been targeted and framed as the bully himself by Mason and former friend Dylan Wilson, he struggles to cope. On Wednesday February 14 the truth depths of his despair will be revealed when he starts to search online for ways to kill himself.
Mum, Maria, suspects Liam is being bullied, but has no idea how bad it’s got. She sets up a fake SendPx account to check up on him. Maria then realises just how awful the bullies are being to her son. She advises Liam he must change schools.
When Liam’s search history is discovered by his teachers, Maria is called to school. However, she misses the call and Gary Windass goes instead. He then races to the salon to alert Maria that Liam’s been researching how to kill himself.
Terrified Maria rushes back to the flat desperately trying to find her son. Although Liam ultimately decides against ending his own life, he has a long journey to recovery over the coming months.
Samia Longchambon speaks out
Samia Longchambon, who plays Maria, has spoken out about the story. She said: “Maria is really paranoid, and understandably so, given that Liam is from the Connor family and we have all been through similar when Aidan Connor (Liam’s cousin) committed suicide, so I don’t think she will be able to leave Liam alone without fearing the worst.
“This is going to be an ongoing issue for Liam. We are considering all options from homeschooling to counselling. Of course when it comes to mental health, there’s unfortunately a massively long waiting list. I think the great thing about this storyline is that we are doing it in real time. We aren’t rushing this at all and doing everything as it would happen.”
Coronation Street works with charity on Liam’s storyline
Coronation Street researchers and writers have been working closely with the National Bullying Helpline to ensure Liam’s story is told as authentically and delicately as possible.
Iain Macleod, Executive Producer of Continuing Drama at ITV, said: “This is a story that will have immense personal resonance for many people – it certainly did for some of the Coronation Street team.
“We felt it was important to show the mental damage that bullying can do to people on the receiving end, especially in the modern world, when children are faced with what can seem like inescapable cyber-bullying. The aggression doesn’t stop at the school gates but can find you in the safety of your own home.
“Having said that, it was also important that across the story as a whole, we showed some hope for Liam and that by speaking up, finally, he can begin the process of escaping his nightmare and beginning to heal.
“We approached this story very carefully, consulting with a number of specialist charities, and I feel the resulting story is truthful, powerful and necessary.”
Liam Connor’s bullying nightmare in Coronation Street
Over the past few months, viewers have been shocked to see Liam being targeted by Mason and his crew.
It all began when Mason pressurised Liam to vape, leading to Liam suffering an asthma attack.
Things then got worse as Liam has been humiliated by Mason over and over again. Liam eventually stood up for himself, but Mason pulled out a knife.
When Liam did fight back against Dylan, he was the one accused of being the bully. Dylan’s dad, Sean, reported Liam to the police and Liam was suspended from school.
With the bullying being both in person and online, there is no escape for Liam who is desperately struggling to cope.
Read more: Who’s leaving Coronation Street in 2024?
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.
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