Coronation Street star Julia Goulding has issued a stark warning about the future of her character, Shona Platt, as a dramatic crossover episode with Emmerdale threatens to claim a life.
Shona's Life Hangs in the Balance
In an exclusive interview, the actress, 40, confirmed that Shona and her on-screen husband David Platt, played by Jack P. Shepherd, are left fighting for survival following a horrific minibus crash. The accident occurs on their way to Debbie Webster's wedding, a last-minute distraction from the terrifying news that their unborn baby has a potentially cancerous growth on its neck.
The special episode, airing on Monday 5th January at 8pm on ITV1, marks the first-ever official crossover between Coronation Street and Emmerdale, dubbed 'Corriedale'. Rumours have swirled that a major character will be killed off, and Goulding is not ruling out Shona as the victim.
"I can't say if she or David survive the crash or not, but it's safe to say Shona is in a very delicate position," Goulding told The Mirror. "They both do get knocked out and it's touch and go. If they are both affected, the stakes are going to be very high."
A 'Pinch Me' Soap Crossover
Despite the precarious fate awaiting her character, Goulding expressed her thrill at being part of the landmark television event. She described working with Emmerdale legends like Emma Atkins (Charity Dingle) and Chris Chittell (Eric Pollard) as "absolutely brilliant".
"There is a scene with Ken [Barlow] and Pollard and Shona and David. It was so surreal!" she said. "It was a real pinch me moment." She emphasised the lack of rivalry between the two soap casts, noting she and Atkins "got on like a house on fire".
The episode is directed by Duncan Foster, known for handling some of both soaps' biggest storylines. "You know you are in safe hands," Goulding added.
Behind the Scenes of a Soap Pregnancy
Goulding also shed light on the challenges of filming Shona's difficult pregnancy storyline, contrasting it with her own smoother experiences as a mother to Franklin, six, and Emmeline, three.
"It's every parent's worst nightmare and you don't have to stretch yourself emotionally when you hear news like that," she said of the baby's diagnosis. To portray the pregnancy, she has been wearing a heavy prosthetic rubber bump and breasts, which she admits caused a bad back for eight weeks. "I was more comfortable when I was pregnant in real life," she joked.
Reflecting on her nine years playing Shona, a role she landed straight out of RADA, Goulding said her friendship with co-star Jack P. Shepherd is key. "We are good mates and it's a laugh a minute working with him... When the going gets tough, we both switch it on."
As for the future, Goulding hopes Shona survives to see another crossover. "If Shona is lucky enough to survive the crash, I would love it if there was another Corriedale special... I would be begging for Shona to be part of it."
However, she ended with a chilling caveat: "But I really do fear for Shona ahead of this first Corriedale episode…" Viewers will have to tune in to see if Shona's nine lives have finally run out.
