Following tonight’s episode of the soap, Coronation Street star Paddy Bever has opened up about his character Max Turner – and his mental state at the Secure Training Centre.
But with Max at his ‘lowest point,’ what does the friendship of newcomer Gav mean to the Corrie youth?
Max struggles with his jail time at the STC
Max is currently serving time at a Secure Training Centre (STC) for his part in racist Griff’s gang crimes. In scenes which aired last year, Max was sentenced to prison for encouraging terrorism – after managing the gang’s social media account.
Being bullied and beaten up by his fellow inmates, Max hasn’t had an easy time at the STC. However, tonight’s episode of the soap (Friday, May 5) revealed that Max is being considered for early release.
It also served as an introduction to Gav, who is serving time with Max at the STC. But how is Max coping now at the STC? And what does the introduction of Gav mean for Max and his family?
Coronation Street star opens up about Max Turner’s jail blues
In an interview, Paddy Bever, who plays Max, discussed Max’s current mental state. “This is the lowest point we have seen Max at,” Paddy said. “Max has had a long life of difficulty but this is a period where all of that stops and he is forced to reflect on it all.”
Paddy continued: “Max hasn’t had a happy life and at the moment he is sitting in a cell, with nothing to do, and he is thinking about everything that he has done wrong and what has happened to him in his life.
“He debates the point of carrying on. He expresses thoughts of hopelessness and he is experiencing a lot of pain.”
Corrie star reveals Max’s struggle with David
Paddy went on to discuss Max’s relationship with dad David. Paddy said: “Their relationship is quite strained because Max feels like David does so much for him and he constantly feels like he is letting him down so he really struggles with that.”
He continued: “Max feels like he is constantly making mistakes then apologising, then making mistakes then apologising and he feels like he has gone too far with things.”
“Max can’t forgive himself so he can’t see David forgiving him either even though he does forgive him. But there will be a point where Max is forced to express his feelings to David.”
Who is newcomer Gav on Coronation Street?
Tonight’s episode also introduced Gav, who is serving time alongside Max at the STC. But who is Gav, and what will his friendship mean to Max?
Noah Olaoye, who plays Gav explained: “Gav is a lovable rogue. He is not a bully, he is not someone who throws his weight around… He is a nice guy but don’t mess with him.”
Going on to talk about Max and Gav’s friendship, Paddy acknowledged the importance of a friend in Max’s life. “The thing that drives Max in life is his need to find a family or a replacement for the parents that he has lost, the problem is that he trusts people too easily and then he loses them, or they betray him and let him down, or they take advantage of him.”
He continued: “Gav is someone who powers through life with this wonderful, energetic charm and that is so different to how Max behaves so he needs someone like Gav to lift him up and balance him out.”
And what can fans expect to see from Max and Gav in future? “We are going to see a lot of trust being built between each other but perhaps that trust will be tested at some point,” Paddy teased.
Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2023 – meet them all here!
Coronation Street usually airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV.
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