Coronation Street star Lucas Hodgson-Wale has confirmed that his character Will Driscoll will finally expose his abuser Megan Walsh next week, sparking her downfall on the ITV soap.
Will's Realisation
Next week, spoilers reveal that Will comes to the realisation that his relationship with Megan is not what he thought. Having been groomed by his athletics coach for months, Will attempts to flee with her. However, when Tim Metcalfe, who is coming to his own realisation about his past, advises Will about what is really going on, it changes everything. Will decides to report Megan to the police, beginning her comeuppance.
Leaving Weatherfield
Will acts on his plan to leave Weatherfield. Lucas Hodgson-Wale described the emotional goodbye to Ben, Eva, and Susie. He said: 'Oh, yeah, definitely. Will starts to think, "What am I doing?" He begins to realise what he is leaving behind and starts to weigh it up: "Is what I am leaving behind worth what I am going for?" It is especially hard with Susie; she is Will's younger sister who has grown up with him, and it feels strange for him to just disappear. I remember filming the scene where Susie runs up and gives Will a big hug; as an actor, I felt, "Oh god, this is heavy."'
The Cab Journey with Tim
The cab journey between Will and Tim was a key scene. Hodgson-Wale explained: 'It was such an amazing scene to film. Our director, Richard, was great, and Joe Duttine (Tim) was amazing as well. It was really nice because Tim and Will have a genuine connection. Tim has been through a similar story in terms of grooming - that older woman and younger lad dynamic. If anyone was going to catch on to what was happening, it was going to be Tim. He has taken his time with this; he has noticed things before, and Ben has told him bits and pieces. But when Will is in the taxi, stuck in traffic because his train has been cancelled, it is just the two of them. Tim does not go at it like Ben does in terms of aggressive questioning; he lets Will do most of the talking. He throws out questions without trying to "expose" Will - he is just giving Will the space to expose the truth himself.'
Deciding to Report Megan
Playing the moment when Will decides to report Megan required a different approach. Hodgson-Wale said: 'When Will is deciding whether to go through with it, I did not want to internalise it too much. Usually, a lot of what Will does is on the inside - he projects a "truth" but inside he knows it is a lie. With this moment, I wanted to change it and make it more visible on his face. This is the first time we see the real Will - thinking about something that is not based on a lie. His whole relationship with Megan has been one big fabrication they have run with. This is the first time we see him thinking, "Hold on a minute, I need to think about this," rather than just focusing on "Me and Megan being happy."'
Family Reaction
The Driscoll family react to Will reporting Megan. Hodgson-Wale noted: 'It is hardly a secret to the family anymore, but they have not seen Will actually admit to it. I did a scene with Aaron McCusker (Ben) where I am on the couch and I break down into tears. It is the first time we see Will properly break down because it is finally all caught up to him. I imagined it like he has been running with a long, heavy metal chain; he has finally stopped, and the whiplash has come back and whacked him because this whole thing has been one long lie. Maggie and Ollie take a back seat and let Ben and Eva step in. Later, Ollie and Will have a really good scene where they talk and Will finally lets everything go.'
Will's Feelings Toward Megan
Reflecting on Will's feelings, Hodgson-Wale said: 'Will was in love with the idea of being with Megan rather than the practicality of it. He is not at an age where he can sit down and think long-term. In his head, it was all "peaches and cream" running off to France and everyone being happy. He had not thought about the reality. As it finally catches up to him, he realises, "Actually, this is wrong. Megan has taken advantage of me and she has been dragging me along. It has done nothing but cause my family grief."'
If Megan Were Charged
Hodgson-Wale added: 'Once Will eventually makes peace with the fact that he is a victim and that Megan was wrong, I think he would feel a sense of relief. It has been going on for so long, and to finally have it stop would be massive. He does not have to lie for her, or about them, anymore. He does not have to lie about anything. If he finds out she has been charged, it would be more about relief than anything else.'
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
