Coronation Street’s Chris Harper has revealed the heartbreaking reason why he agreed to reprise the role of evil pedophile Nathan Curtis in the ITV soap.
The actor, who also plays Geoffrey Franklin in Call The Midwife, last appeared on the show in 2017 when the character groomed and raped teenager Bethany Platt in one of Corrie’s most controversial storylines.
Now Chris has explained how he jumped at the chance to return to the cobbles, while Bethany comes face to face with Nathan following his release from prison after learning how often victims encounter their rapists in real life.
Narrate The mirror: ‘Coronation Street pledged to keep Bethany’s story alive and I want to do the same.’
‘People who have been groomed can literally encounter their rapist in the frozen food section of the supermarket without warning.’
Coronation Street’s Chris Harper has revealed the heartbreaking reason why he agreed to reprise the role of evil pedophile Nathan Curtis in the ITV soap
The actor, who also plays Geoffrey Franklin in Call The Midwife, last appeared on the show in 2017 when the character groomed and raped teenager Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon pictured) in one of Corrie’s most controversial storylines.
Now Chris has explained how he jumped at the chance to return to the cobbles, while Bethany comes face to face with Nathan following his release from prison, after learning how often victims encounter their rapists in real life ( depicted in the show in 2017)
Adding: ‘Although there is legislation that requires a victim to be notified when someone is released from prison, the Maggie Oliver Foundation told our producers that victims are often not informed because the system is under-resourced.’
He went on to reveal that he was devastated to hear victims’ stories when preparing for the role, so much so that he has become a patron of SHE UK, a charity that helps victims of sexual abuse.
Nathan returned to Weatherfield as part of Lauren Bolton’s murder storyline after she went missing in February with Roy Cropper in the frame.
However, viewers have now discovered that Joel Deering (Calum Lill) is in fact the killer after a harrowing flashback, with the lawyer now hoping to pin the blame on pedophile Nathan.
It comes after ITV bosses faced a huge backlash after being accused of basing a controversial Coronation Street storyline on wrongful allegations that retired teacher Christopher Jefferies brutally murdered Joanna Yeates in 2010.
Fan favorite and eccentric Roy, who is in police custody after being charged with the murder of troubled young female character Lauren.
In the storyline, Roy is verbally attacked by a group of thugs while attending a wake for the missing teenager and they then throw a brick through the window of Roy’s Rolls – Cropper’s cafe – after branding him a ‘creepy pervert’ online.
Last month he appeared in court charged with Lauren’s murder and was taken into custody, much to the shock of viewers.
He went on to reveal that he was devastated to hear victims’ stories when preparing for the role, so much so that he has become a patron of SHE UK, a charity that helps victims of sexual abuse.
Nathan has returned to Weatherfield as part of Lauren Bolton’s murder storyline after she went missing in February starring Roy Cropper (David Neilson)
However, viewers have now discovered that Joel Deering (Calum Lill, left) is in fact the killer after a harrowing flashback, with the lawyer now hoping to pin the blame on pedophile Nathan.
He was also brutally attacked in prison by a terrorist named Griff, who is friends with Lauren’s father. He pulled out a gun and demanded to know where Lauren’s body was. With Roy refusing to confess, Griff holds the makeshift knife to his throat, terrifying him.
The MailOnline can reveal writers are using the true story of Jefferies – Mrs Yeates’ landlord in Clifton, Bristol – who was wrongly suspected of murdering the landscape architect.
Police arrested Mr Jefferies, then 65, who also lived in a flat in the same building as Ms Yeates. He was subsequently released without charge and it was another tenant of his tenant, Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak, who was convicted of her murder.
However, his life was destroyed following the wrongful claims and he later received an apology and significant compensation from eight media outlets.
It comes after ITV bosses faced a huge backlash after being accused of basing a controversial Coronation Street storyline on wrongful allegations that retired teacher Christopher Jefferies brutally murdered Joanna Yeates in 2010.
Christopher Jeffries (left) was wrongly accused of the murder of Joanna Yeates (right) in Bristol in December 2010
A Coronation Street source said: ‘The Christopher Jefferies story is well known. He was vilified by the public and labeled as a creep and an oddball.
“Roy was Lauren’s boss. She worked for him at the cafe and it wasn’t long before the police turned their attention back to him. There are some key similarities and the Jefferies case was used to base this plot on.
‘Corrie’s writers have taken inspiration from the success of Christopher Jeffries’ ITV drama The Lost Honor by showing how kind-hearted Roy can be viewed in the same way.
‘As soon as Roy’s name is known, a lawsuit will be conducted via social media. Everyone knows and loves Roy. He’s been on the show for almost 30 years, so it’s causing quite a bit of outrage among viewers, which is what the writers wanted.
Mrs Yeates, 25, went missing from the flat she shared with her partner on December 17, 2010 after a night out with colleagues. On Christmas Day, eight days later, her fully clothed body was found in the snow by a couple walking their dogs next to the entrance to a quarry three miles away from her home. Tabak was convicted of murder in October 2011.
An ITV spokesperson did not respond when offered the opportunity to comment.