Coronation Street star reacts to Corey and Kelly trial verdict

Coronation Street aired a shock twist tonight (September 10) as Corey Brent and Kelly Neelan's trial came to an end.

Corey (Maximus Evans) and Kelly (Millie Gibson) were both facing murder charges after the vicious attack that caused Seb Franklin's death earlier in the year. As Seb's family waited anxiously for the verdict to be revealed, there was shock all round when Kelly got sent to prison while Corey walked free.

Prior to this, Kelly had recalled to the room how Corey was the one who attacked Seb and kicked him repeatedly. However, Corey's barrister Sabeen managed to discredit this version of events by suggesting that Kelly was the one who attacked Seb.

Here, Sally Carman – who plays Seb's mum Abi – talks about the aftermath of tonight's verdict, and reveals a dark time ahead for her grieving alter ego.

kevin webster, abi franklin and stefan brent in coronation street

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What was it like filming the court scenes?

"It was very different for me because I came down with Covid, so I was off for a month because I got it pretty bad. I ended up filming all my bits in two days separately, being read the lines by Woody, who was the first AD. So, there was no-one else on the courtroom set with me apart from Mike Le Vell.

"We did a scene outside the court with Stefan and the other dodgy geezer, so it was very strange. I still wasn't a hundred percent, so it was all like a bit of a dream. But watching it back, I'm just blown away by how brilliantly it all fits together, and how well Mickey Jones – the director – did. He was fantastic!"

What has the reaction been like on this story?

"It's really brilliant! Corrie is brilliant at this – they're really good at highlighting different things that people have to deal with in real life. This is a big one – hate crime is huge. To be in a story that's so successful about a really important cause, there's an added responsibility with that, but it's a real privilege. I'm delighted – I feel really, really lucky."

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What's it been like filming this court case and the flashback scenes – and what's the reaction been?

"Well, that's really interesting because I only got my scripts so it could say: 'Flashback scene – cut to', but you've got no idea what that's going to look like, so to watch it and see how devastating it is – and that's the right word. It takes your break away a little bit. Corrie went out on a limb a bit I reckon, because it's quite graphic and violent, but it's necessary. I was blown away by it.

"The younger cast knock my socks off! They blow my hair back – they're fantastic! They're not only carrying the story, they're smashing it! Absolutely smashing it. I'm really proud of them, that sounds quite patronising, but I don't mean it to! I just take my hat off to them.

"They're getting on with it and knocking it out of the park. They're on it, they know their lines and they're good fun to be around. But then they get so focused, and they get on with it. It's brilliant. I've loved hanging out with them, because I've never done scenes with half of them before, so it's lovely to work with new people and learn from them."

stefan brent, corey brent and sabeen in coronation street

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How does Abi feel about Corey walking free?

"I think she was daring to believe that justice could be done. That's why she did everything by the book. With Imran saying: 'Trust me, I will get something on them, you were right about Eli.' She was hopeful, which is really hard because she's had a life where she was let down a lot. It was sheer will for her to believe that perhaps that justice will be done, but of course it isn't!

There is no way Abi can leave it at that. She can't let that go, because the injustice is too much. She has a cut-off point and not only has it been reached, it's been crossed!"

How did you feel about when you heard about the trial verdict?

"There's two parts to that, because as an actor you go: 'Ooooh! That's really good, what's going to come up next.' But for Abi I was just like: 'Oh man, how much more has she got to go through?!' How did he get off? How could he possibly have got off?

Just watching the scenes in court, as I wasn't there, and seeing him on screen with his half bored, menacing looks! Max is brilliant, he just doesn't care if the audience like him or not. He's playing it so truthfully – he's properly going for it! It just makes me want to kill him! I've done loads of stuff with Max and he's such a nice guy!"

If he had gone to prison, would that have been the closure Abi needed?

"I don't think it would've been as easy as she thought it would be. I think she would still struggle with it, but I think there would've been a balm on the wound. She does love Jack to bits, but Jack is going to be fine without her. The murder of Seb is too much for her, and she's just got it in her heart that she needs to get justice for her some way or another."

kelly neelan and toyah battersby in coronation street

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How does she react to the news of Kelly's suicide attempt and does she have any sympathy for Kelly?

"I'm not sure if she has sympathy, as I don't think she's emotionally mature enough when it comes to her son – and the hurt that has caused – to be able to go that deep and go: 'Actually, that's really bad'.

"She's definitely softened, and she realises that it wasn't Kelly, so I think in time she'll look back and feel that empathy. She doesn't want to hear that, that's not nice, and that's not the answer, and she wouldn't want that, but she's not catching her breath going: 'That's really, really dreadful'."

Abi has a shock for Kevin in the aftermath. Can you talk us through that and the effect the court case has on their relationship?

"She leaves Kevin because she can't let it go, what's happened. She's not quite sure what she's going to do, or maybe she is, but whatever she does, she knows she can't involve Kevin or Jack. It wouldn't be fair. She loves the bones of the pair of them, which is the reason why she has to leave them, because she needs to have a think about how she can solve the injustice of what's happened."

abi franklin and kevin webster in coronation street

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What does the future hold for them now?

"There's going to be big blast from the past, who she actually reaches out to and who comes back. That's very interesting. What I can say is that the circumstances that they're going through at the minute, they really do love each other. It's an odd combination in many ways, her being so flighty and Kev being so steady, but they've found something in each other. They always manage to work something out. I have faith in how much faith they have in each other."

Would you like to see a wedding?

"I'd love that! How lovely would that be?"

abi franklin and nina lucas in coronation street

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Brenda Blethyn recently said that she'd love to be in Corrie as part of Abi's family. What do you think of that and who would she play?

"I think she would play Abi's mother! I would adore that. Brenda is awesome. Kenny, who is her sidekick on Vera, I worked with him on a show a few years back and he's just brilliant! We're friends, and he's a big supporter of Corrie, he watches it all the time, and so does Brenda, so for her to say that is just like: 'Whaaaaat?' My goodness, it's brilliant!"

What do you enjoy the most about playing Abi?

"That's the golden ticket, isn’t it? To be able to play a character that's got a really good heart, but who is complete emotionally immature to the point where she's like a 2-year-old. She's so reactive. She doesn't think things through. There is nothing that she's not capable of doing. She's an emotionally undeveloped walking heartbeat, so watch out!"

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.