Carla Connor
Encyclopedia
Carla Connor is a fictional character
from the British ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield
. She is portrayed by actress Alison King
. Carla was created by producer Steve Frost
as part of the new Connor family. She made her first on-screen appearance on 1 December 2006. King left the show temporarily on 6 February 2009 for maternity leave and returned for five episodes between 19 and 23 October 2009. She made her full-time return on 23 November 2009.
Carla's storylines have focused on her relationships with brother-in-law Liam Connor
and Tony Gordon
, with the latter producing a wedding following Liam's death. Other notable storylines have included the breakdown of two marriages, being the victim of an attempted murder and battling alcoholism. In late 2011, Carla was raped by her partner Frank. Carla is supported by her friend, Maria Connor as she seeks a conviction. Carla is portrayed as a strong, no-nonsense businesswoman. She has been referred to as "the new Elsie Tanner
", and one of the serial's most popular characters, with critics often praising her appearance and storylines.
prison for armed robbery.
(Bradley Walsh)'s share of Underworld. Not giving up without a fight, she persuades Kelly Crabtree
(Tupele Dorgu
) and Joanne Jackson
(Zaraah Abrahams
) to work overtime to make up orders for her business. On 16 April 2007, after finishing a shift for Carla, Polish worker, Kasia, dies instantly after falling down a flight of stairs. Carla phones Paul, instead of an ambulance, and he covers up Carla's illegal shifts. They wait until morning and clock Kasia in for work so that they could claim she came in early to help Paul, and fell to her death.
Carla becomes close friends with her brother-in-law Liam's
(Rob James-Collier
) girlfriend Leanne Battersby
(Jane Danson
) and the pair go into business together. However, their friendship ends when Carla discovers that Leanne is working as a prostitute, and that Paul is one of her clients. She vows to divorce Paul, who blames Leanne for wrecking his marriage, and takes revenge by kidnapping her while Carla seems determined to drown her problems. However, Paul is distracted while driving and the car is hit by a truck at a junction. Paul later dies from his injuries but Leanne survives. Carla changes her mind about going into business with Leanne and inherits Paul's 60% share of Underworld, causing friction with Liam.
Carla overcomes Paul's death and starts dating catalogue boss Tony Gordon
(Gray O'Brien
) in September 2007. Two months later, Carla is stunned when Tony's current wife, Lindsey (Susie Amy
), slaps her. Lindsey tells Liam that she and Tony were still together when he started dating Carla. Liam tries convincing Carla that Tony can't be trusted but Carla ignores him. Carla and Tony's relationship makes Liam consider his true feelings for her. During an argument, they kiss, leaving them both confused. Carla tries to stop Liam marrying Maria Sutherland
(Samia Smith
) but it doesn't work, leaving Carla devastated. She turns up at Liam and Maria's wedding, upsetting Maria. Maria finally stands up to her and slaps her in the toilets. A forlorn Carla leaves the reception in a cab.
Carla and Tony break up briefly as Carla believes herself to be in love with Liam; however, on 17 March 2008, Tony proposes to Carla, and she accepts. In May that year, Carla supports Liam following the stillbirth of his and Maria's son, Paul, and they finally sleep together. Unknown to them, Carla's personal assistant, Rosie Webster
(Helen Flanagan
), has come to ask for the spare keys and records them kissing on her mobile phone. In June 2008, Carla blackmails Liam into selling his share of the factory to Tony by threatening to tell Maria about her and Liam's one-night stand. In September, she invests in Liam and Tom Kerrigan (Philip McGinley
)'s t-shirt business but they agree not to tell Tony and Maria.
Later that month, Tony discovers Carla has cheated on him when he sees Rosie's video footage. Carla and Liam had a brief affair before her wedding to Tony as they could not hide their feelings from each other any longer and planned to call her wedding off. However, she changes her mind when she discovers Maria is pregnant again, she then lies to Liam telling him that she doesn't love him, but is devastated when Liam is killed in a hit-and-run, arranged by Tony. Unaware of Tony's role, a grief-stricken Carla postpones the wedding and goes to stay with a friend in Los Angeles. She returns on 26 November 2008, and they rearrange the wedding for the following week, marrying on 3 December. Before marrying Tony, she tells Ryan Connor
(Ben Thompson
) that she will always be his aunt despite marrying again and that she will always love him. Upon returning from her honeymoon with her new husband, Maria accuses Tony of being responsible for Liam's death but he denies it and Carla refuses to believe her, standing by Tony. She also tells Tony that she had only slept with Liam once, and takes revenge on Rosie by making her life hell.
While Maria shouts from the rooftops that Tony has murdered her husband and tries desperately to find proof to make people believe her, he calmly denies it. He even asks the police not to prosecute Maria as she is going through a difficult time as a new widow and pregnant. Maria is finally silenced when Tony brings Jed Stone
(Kenneth Cope
) to visit the Street - she had accused Tony of murdering him too - but while his visit makes Maria realise that she could be wrong, it makes Carla suspicious. She visits Jed Stone
, taking him out for lunch and quizzing him. She is startled to see the bruises on his neck and when she asks if Tony is responsible, he runs away. She also questions Tony's henchman, Jimmy Dockerson (Robert Beck
), confirming her suspicions.
On 6 February 2009, Tony locks Carla in the factory and, after an explosive showdown, Carla confesses that she loved Liam and not Tony. Guilt-ridden, Tony confesses that he had had Liam killed after she demands the truth. Horrified, Carla escapes and drives off in a rain storm after a violent struggle, leaving a devastated Tony behind. Maria, out walking her dog, sees this from across the street. Carla hires old business colleague Luke Strong
(Craig Kelly
) to look after her interests during her absence. It is revealed after her disappearance that she is in Los Angeles with a friend though Tony is unaware of this. Shortly after her departure, it is revealed that Carla has filed for divorce and leaves her wedding ring with her solicitor.
Almost a year passed with no sign or word from Carla but on 19 October 2009, Tony is shocked to get a call from Carla, asking to meet him in the cemetery. He isn't pleased as it is the day of baby Liam's christening. She knows that he and Maria are together as she had kept in contact with Leanne. When he reveals that they are engaged, Carla demands that he call it off, sell his share of the factory to her and leave Weatherfield for good, or else she will report him to the police for Liam's death. The night of the christening, Tony orders Jimmy Dockerson, the man who had killed Liam and threatened Jed Stone, to murder Carla. He and Carla have a fight and she knocks him out, smashing him over the head with a candlestick. Tony tells Carla that she has killed him but he will cover it up in return for her silence. However, Jimmy is merely unconscious, and after a showdown with Tony, Carla says she will get her revenge one day and returns to Los Angeles.
Jimmy is arrested in December 2009, and the police question Carla again. She admits that Tony confessed to killing Liam, but she didn't believe him and left. Michelle
(Kym Marsh
), Liam's sister, finds out and charges into the factory, dragging Carla out into the street by her hair. Everyone is shocked and disgusted that Carla knew about Tony killing Liam, and everyone leaves her by herself. The factory girls and Roy Cropper
(David Neilson
), who Tony confessed Liam's murder to, all learn to forgive her.
In March 2010 she enters into a relationship with local binman Trevor Dean
(Steve Jackson). She then sells Tony's shares of Underworld to Nick Tilsley
(Ben Price
), despite friend Leanne, who was once married to Nick, warning her that he shouldn't be trusted. In May 2010, Robbie Sloan (James Fleet
), one of Tony's cellmates, is released from prison after serving his 15 year sentence. Before he is released, Tony hands a gun to Robbie, ordering him to kidnap and kill Carla and Hayley Cropper
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
). Later on, Robbie helps Tony to escape from prison and they head to Weatherfield. The police come to the factory to warn Carla that Tony has escaped from prison and tell her to be vigilant and stay indoors. Robbie follows Tony's orders, and ties Carla and Hayley to chairs in Underworld and not long after, to Carla's horror, Tony makes his appearance.
On 9 June 2010, Tony frees Hayley but does not free Carla. Determined that they will both die together, Tony then sets the factory alight after dousing the place with petrol. Carla manages to untie herself and hits Tony over the head with the chair but it doesn't have any effect. They continue to fight while the factory burns to the ground. Carla eventually escapes from the factory and runs into Trevor's arms, and Tony decides to take his own life by going back into the flames. The whole Street watches in horror as Underworld explodes dramatically and Tony perishes in the blast. The next day, she finds Maria standing in the charred remains of the factory, and talks to her before Maria leaves again for Ireland. Maria sulkily tells her that she can never forgive Carla for what she has done in the past, and whatever she does will mean nothing to her.
Carla returns in July 2010, after going on holiday to South Africa with Trevor, and discovers from Leanne that Nick has been looking after Underworld whilst she was away. However, after paying a visit to Nick later that day, she finds out that he has fully taken over, leaving her with no business. She takes legal action finding that Nick has no planning-permission. However, Leanne goes behind her back and gets George Wilson (Anthony Valentine), the proprietor of Turner's Joinery to sort it out for Nick. Eventually Carla and Nick settle their business differences and set out to rebuild the factory.
After her relationship with Trevor, who accuses her of still being infatuated with dead lover Liam, comes to an end, Carla turns to alcohol to numb her pain. Realising that she has a problem she goes to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. However, she soon flees when she sees that Leanne's fiance Peter Barlow
(Chris Gascoyne) is there. He is quick to see that she has an alcohol problem and offers his support, with Carla insisting that she is in control. However, Peter is the first person whom Carla calls, when she gets extremely drunk at her apartment. She confides in him that she is unable to move on following Liam's death and blames herself for triggering the chain of events which led to Tony organising the hit-and-run.
At the opening of Nick and Leanne's new bar The Joinery on 12 November 2010, Carla struggles with her growing attraction towards Peter. She once again returns to alcohol and is arrested for drink-driving. After Peter collects her from the police station, she confesses that she has fallen for him and makes a pass at him. However, Peter rebuffs her advances, leaving Carla both embarrassed and upset. Later Carla is secretly delighted when a guilty Leanne confesses to her that she has cheated on Peter by sleeping with ex-husband Nick and uses the information to try to break Peter and Leanne up. She is later upset when Peter is injured in The Joinery explosion and tram crash in December 2010. Carla later admits to Leanne at the hospital that Peter had been helping her with her alcohol problem. She explains that she has feelings for Peter and tells Leanne she doesn't deserve Peter due to her affair with Nick. Carla drunkenly accuses Leanne of marrying a dying man to gain control of his assets and reminds her of her days of prostitution to which Leanne reacts by slapping her in the face.
On the day of Peter's wedding to Leanne on 14 February 2011, Carla flees the church when Peter reveals to the congregation how she has a crush on him. She later takes on Maria as her new PA at the factory and comforts her when business client Frank Foster
(Andrew Lancel
) attempts to rape her. However, due to the factory being in dire financial straits, Carla and Maria are forced to do a lucrative business deal with Frank, as there are no other contracts available.
In June 2011, Carla's mother passes away, and she initially refuses to attend her funeral, but Frank talks her into it and she eventually attends. Afterwards, she asks Peter to meet her, where he tells her she should not drink, but Leanne catches them and thinks they are having an affair before Carla explains to her about her mother's death. Leanne and Peter later argue, as she feels he cares more about Carla than her and his son Simon
(Alexander Bain
). Carla ignores Leanne and goes drinking in the Rovers with Frank, who later lets her stay the night at his house as she is too drunk to drive home.
Carla leans on Frank for support as she struggles to see Peter with Leanne. She hears about Leanne's pregnancy when she overhears Peter talking about it in the Rovers. This later causes problems for Peter and Leanne when they fight over his feelings for Carla. Carla tries to congratulate Leanne on being pregnant but she won't accept it. Carla later sleeps with Frank and the next day agrees to go on a romantic trip to Rome with him. She later sees Peter talking to his father Ken (William Roache
) about Leanne and Peter seems jealous when he sees Carla with Frank.
Carla tries to help when she learns that pregnant Leanne has fallen down the stairs. She is told by Leanne's mother Stella Price
(Michelle Collins
) that Leanne has lost the baby. She later finds Peter, who has left the hospital after another row with Leanne, stood outside his flat. She tells him she's sorry about the baby and takes him upstairs for coffee. Peter tries to get her to leave, but she tells him that he needs to listen to her and what she thinks just once. Carla tells Peter that she can't leave him because he will get the urge to drink alcohol if she does. She tells Peter that she's in love with him and has been for a very long time. Peter denies feeling anything for her. She tells him that she doesn't expect anything to happen but she has to tell him how she feels. Carla reminds Peter she's supposed to be leaving for a trip with Frank soon but she doesn't really love him. Carla and Peter then kiss very passionately but he then pulls away from her as he cannot cheat on Leanne.
On 15 August 2011, Frank proposes to Carla in the Rovers. After originally rejecting his offer, a confrontation with Peter causes her to change her mind, and later that day she tells Frank that she will marry him. Frank then helps Carla and Leanne to become friendly with each other again and a truce is agreed between both couples.
A few weeks later after meeting Frank's parents and having a brief argument with him, Carla decides to show Frank that she does not need him so gets into his car, to which Frank jumps in and warns Carla she is drunk and can't drive. Carla, ignoring his warning, goes speeding round the corner and runs over Stella before smashing through the bookies. Peter hears the crash outside and calls for an ambulance. Frank places an unconscious Carla into the passenger seat to make it look like he was driving and Stella stepped out in front of him. Frank takes an alcohol test to see if he was drink driving but the test is negative. At the hospital, Stella's partner Karl Munroe
(John Michie
) asks Frank about the accident and he continues to lie that he was driving, but Karl is suspicious. When Carla regains consciousness, Frank explains to her the story he told everyone and she believes she should confess but Frank tells her she will be convicted and could be sent to prison. Carla confesses the truth to Peter while visiting Stella in intensive care, and he tells her that she should be ashamed of herself.
On 19 September 2011, Carla confesses to Frank that she cannot marry him and that she has been having doubts for weeks about their relationship. Frank demands the truth and Carla tells him that she loves Peter and has already spoken to a solicitor, much to his anger. Carla returns home to find an angry Frank waiting for her, demanding answers. He demands that they try again, and even suggests that they try for a baby, but Carla asks him to leave and he refuses and begins to get violent towards her, pinning her up against the front door. Frank then rapes Carla violently, and leaves her cowering on the floor while he re-buttons his shirt. He flees and Carla calls Maria, who comes over and Carla tells her that Frank forced her to have sexual intercourse with him. Maria urges Carla to report the rape to the police and Frank is arrested, however, he soon gets released under condition that he will not approach Carla, or her workplace. Frank breaks the conditions and threatens Carla into dropping the allegations against him, and when she refuses, he asks his parents to help him bring down Carla's factory. When Frank appears back on the street, while going to cancel the after-wedding party, Peter punches him and leaves. He waits for Frank in the street, and when Frank says that Carla was asking for it, Peter physically attacks Frank and is arrested by the police for Assault
. Peter's arrest makes his wife Leanne suspicious because of the lengths he would go to to stop Frank, and Leanne confronts both Carla and Peter and demands to know why Peter is so protective of her if they have not had an affair. Carla struggles to cope and tries to commit suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. She phones Peter's mobile and Leanne hears her saying a slurry 'goodbye' to him. Leanne and Peter realises that Carla is planning to commit suicide and phone an ambulance before heading over to the flat where they find paramedics working on Carla's lifeless body beside an empty bottle of pills.
Carla survives the attempted suicide
and agrees to begin conselling to help her cope throughout her rape ordeal. Carla is stunned when Stella Price
(Michelle Collins
) confesses that she too was raped as a teenager, and Carla and Stella soon bond as they both discover that even though they don't always get on, they have a lot in common. Stella reveals that she has never told anyone about her rape
, not even her partner Karl. She explains that while working in a pub, an unhappy customer when alone one-night pinned her up against the bar and raped her.
actress had been cast as Carla Connor. A Coronation Street spokeswoman said of the new addition, "she will make quite an impact. The phrase ‘dosh doesn’t make you posh’ was made for Carla. She’s a WAG on the cobbles, beautiful but tough and ambitious". King had briefly appeared on the Manchester
soap in 2004, as a housewife who tried to seduce Jason Grimshaw
.
Alison King returned to filming during August 2009, following maternity leave. Her comeback was described as an explosive conclusion when she returned, according to a show insider. Carla was back briefly during October and reappeared permanently from late November onwards.
has described Carla as "...an alluring vision, raven haired, classy, sultry and replete with guile". The episode aired on 3 December 2008, in which Carla married Tony Gordon attracted an impressive peak of 10.5 million viewers. In an online poll conducted by MSN Entertainment, Carla Connor was voted as 'Soapland's Sexiest Female of 2008', with more than 31% of votes. At the 2008 Inside Soap Awards, the character was voted 'Best Bitch'.
In January 2009, the character was heralded as the new Elsie Tanner
: "strong, dark, mouthy, pushy, full of herself and nobody's fool, ready to put the world to rights with another lashing of lipstick. Has Coronation Street finally found the new Elsie Tanner in Carla Gordon I'm starting to think that perhaps they might have". The return of the character on 19 October 2009, after an eight month absence, drew large ratings for the show's episodes which were watched by 9.88m (42.2%) and 10.24m (40.5%) respectively.
Radio Times soaps columnist David Brown gave mixed comments in his response to Carla's rape storyline. He made the point that while it was being treated with more sensitivity than the rape of Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor
) was, back in 2001, the impression was that the writing team were placing too much pain and anguish upon Carla's character: "By having Carla undergo a vicious violation like rape, it begins to feel that she’s being systematically targeted by the storyliners. There’s no denying that the scenes in this evening’s double bill are powerfully acted by Alison King, but there seems to be an underlying mission to crack open Carla’s carapace and expose her vulnerability. In the wider world, rapists often choose their targets regardless of the victim’s circumstance, so there’s no saying that Carla wouldn’t suffer an assault of this sort. But, in a fictional setting, it does begin to look cruel when so much anguish is piled onto one person’s shoulders."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield
Weatherfield
Weatherfield is a fictional town, based on Salford in North West England, which serves as the setting for the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street...
. She is portrayed by actress Alison King
Alison King
Alison King is an English actress. She has had major television roles as Lynda Block in the Sky One television series Dream Team, and as Carla Connor in Coronation Street since 2006.- Early life and education :...
. Carla was created by producer Steve Frost
Steve Frost
Steven "Steve" November is a British television producer, he is currently employed by ITV as the continuing drama producer.-Career:...
as part of the new Connor family. She made her first on-screen appearance on 1 December 2006. King left the show temporarily on 6 February 2009 for maternity leave and returned for five episodes between 19 and 23 October 2009. She made her full-time return on 23 November 2009.
Carla's storylines have focused on her relationships with brother-in-law Liam Connor
Liam Connor
Liam Barrington Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, played by Rob James-Collier from 2006 to 2008.-Creation:...
and Tony Gordon
Tony Gordon
Anthony "Tony" Gordon was a fictional character in the itv soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on screen on 16 September 2007 and making his final appearance on 9 June 2010 after deciding to sacrifice himself in the Underworld fire. He is a...
, with the latter producing a wedding following Liam's death. Other notable storylines have included the breakdown of two marriages, being the victim of an attempted murder and battling alcoholism. In late 2011, Carla was raped by her partner Frank. Carla is supported by her friend, Maria Connor as she seeks a conviction. Carla is portrayed as a strong, no-nonsense businesswoman. She has been referred to as "the new Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Patricia Phoenix from 1960 to 1973 and from 1976 until 1984. Elsie Tanner was one of the original core characters on Coronation Street and appeared in the very first episode...
", and one of the serial's most popular characters, with critics often praising her appearance and storylines.
Backstory
Carla arrives in Coronation Steet on 1 December 2006, as the wife of local factory owner Paul Connor (Sean Gallagher). The daughter of a drug-dealing mother, her brother Darren is serving eight years in StrangewaysManchester (HM Prison)
HM Prison Manchester is a high-security male prison situated in Manchester, England operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. It is a local Prison, holding prisoners remanded into custody from the courts in the Manchester area as well as a number of Category A prisoners.HM Prison Manchester was...
prison for armed robbery.
2006–09
Upon her arrival, Carla is furious to discover that her husband has spent the money intended for her children's clothing business on buying Danny BaldwinDanny Baldwin
Daniel "Danny" Baldwin, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Bradley Walsh, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 28 May 2004 and remained until his departure on 31 December 2006.-Creation and...
(Bradley Walsh)'s share of Underworld. Not giving up without a fight, she persuades Kelly Crabtree
Kelly Crabtree
Kelly Louise Crabtree is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Tupele Dorgu, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 September 2004....
(Tupele Dorgu
Tupele Dorgu
Tupele Dorgu is a British actress, best known for playing the role of Kelly Crabtree on the soap opera Coronation Street from 2004 to 2010....
) and Joanne Jackson
Joanne Jackson (Coronation Street)
Joanne Jackson may refer to:*Joanne Jackson , British swimmer*Joanne Jackson , former character on Coronation Street...
(Zaraah Abrahams
Zaraah Abrahams
Zaraah Abrahams is an actress who is most famous for starring in Waterloo Road and competing in Dancing on Ice.-Early life:...
) to work overtime to make up orders for her business. On 16 April 2007, after finishing a shift for Carla, Polish worker, Kasia, dies instantly after falling down a flight of stairs. Carla phones Paul, instead of an ambulance, and he covers up Carla's illegal shifts. They wait until morning and clock Kasia in for work so that they could claim she came in early to help Paul, and fell to her death.
Carla becomes close friends with her brother-in-law Liam's
Liam Connor
Liam Barrington Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, played by Rob James-Collier from 2006 to 2008.-Creation:...
(Rob James-Collier
Rob James-Collier
Robert James-Collier is a British actor and model. He is known for his roles as Liam Connor in Coronation Street and as Thomas on Downton Abbey.- Background :James-Collier was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester...
) girlfriend Leanne Battersby
Leanne Battersby
Leanne Anika Barlow is a fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Jane Danson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 4 July 1997....
(Jane Danson
Jane Danson
Jane Danson is an English actress, most famous for playing the role of Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street.-Acting:...
) and the pair go into business together. However, their friendship ends when Carla discovers that Leanne is working as a prostitute, and that Paul is one of her clients. She vows to divorce Paul, who blames Leanne for wrecking his marriage, and takes revenge by kidnapping her while Carla seems determined to drown her problems. However, Paul is distracted while driving and the car is hit by a truck at a junction. Paul later dies from his injuries but Leanne survives. Carla changes her mind about going into business with Leanne and inherits Paul's 60% share of Underworld, causing friction with Liam.
Carla overcomes Paul's death and starts dating catalogue boss Tony Gordon
Tony Gordon
Anthony "Tony" Gordon was a fictional character in the itv soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on screen on 16 September 2007 and making his final appearance on 9 June 2010 after deciding to sacrifice himself in the Underworld fire. He is a...
(Gray O'Brien
Gray O'Brien
Gray O'Brien is a Scottish television and film actor, best known for his portrayal of the villainous Weatherfield businessman Tony Gordon in the popular British soap opera Coronation Street from 2007 to 2010, and as Dr Richard McCaig on Casualty from 1996 to 1998.O'Brien was born in Stewarton,...
) in September 2007. Two months later, Carla is stunned when Tony's current wife, Lindsey (Susie Amy
Susie Amy
Susie Amy is an English model and actress most famous for her role as Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe in the first two series of Footballers' Wives.-Biography:...
), slaps her. Lindsey tells Liam that she and Tony were still together when he started dating Carla. Liam tries convincing Carla that Tony can't be trusted but Carla ignores him. Carla and Tony's relationship makes Liam consider his true feelings for her. During an argument, they kiss, leaving them both confused. Carla tries to stop Liam marrying Maria Sutherland
Maria Sutherland
Maria Jane Connor , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Samia Smith. The character first appeared on-screen on 19 May 2000...
(Samia Smith
Samia Smith
Samia Maxine Ghadie , is an English actress best known for playing Maria Connor in the ITV Soap Coronation Street.-Early life:...
) but it doesn't work, leaving Carla devastated. She turns up at Liam and Maria's wedding, upsetting Maria. Maria finally stands up to her and slaps her in the toilets. A forlorn Carla leaves the reception in a cab.
Carla and Tony break up briefly as Carla believes herself to be in love with Liam; however, on 17 March 2008, Tony proposes to Carla, and she accepts. In May that year, Carla supports Liam following the stillbirth of his and Maria's son, Paul, and they finally sleep together. Unknown to them, Carla's personal assistant, Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 24 December 1990. Originally portrayed by actress Emma Collinge from her birth until December 1999, the character has since been...
(Helen Flanagan
Helen Flanagan
Helen Joyce Flanagan is a British actress best known for playing Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.Flanagan has played Rosie Webster in Coronation Street since 2000, when she was ten years old....
), has come to ask for the spare keys and records them kissing on her mobile phone. In June 2008, Carla blackmails Liam into selling his share of the factory to Tony by threatening to tell Maria about her and Liam's one-night stand. In September, she invests in Liam and Tom Kerrigan (Philip McGinley
Philip McGinley
Philip McGinley is an English actor, best known for playing the role Tom Kerrigan in Coronation Street.- Biography :...
)'s t-shirt business but they agree not to tell Tony and Maria.
Later that month, Tony discovers Carla has cheated on him when he sees Rosie's video footage. Carla and Liam had a brief affair before her wedding to Tony as they could not hide their feelings from each other any longer and planned to call her wedding off. However, she changes her mind when she discovers Maria is pregnant again, she then lies to Liam telling him that she doesn't love him, but is devastated when Liam is killed in a hit-and-run, arranged by Tony. Unaware of Tony's role, a grief-stricken Carla postpones the wedding and goes to stay with a friend in Los Angeles. She returns on 26 November 2008, and they rearrange the wedding for the following week, marrying on 3 December. Before marrying Tony, she tells Ryan Connor
Ryan Connor
Ryan Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ben Thompson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 30 August 2006...
(Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
) that she will always be his aunt despite marrying again and that she will always love him. Upon returning from her honeymoon with her new husband, Maria accuses Tony of being responsible for Liam's death but he denies it and Carla refuses to believe her, standing by Tony. She also tells Tony that she had only slept with Liam once, and takes revenge on Rosie by making her life hell.
While Maria shouts from the rooftops that Tony has murdered her husband and tries desperately to find proof to make people believe her, he calmly denies it. He even asks the police not to prosecute Maria as she is going through a difficult time as a new widow and pregnant. Maria is finally silenced when Tony brings Jed Stone
Jed Stone
John Edward "Jed" Stone, played by Kenneth Cope, is a fictional character from the soap opera Coronation Street. He was a lodger of Minnie Caldwell's in the 1960s, and her nickname for him was "Sunny Jim"...
(Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope is an English actor. He is most famous for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk , Jed Stone in Coronation Street and Ray Hilton in Brookside.- Career :...
) to visit the Street - she had accused Tony of murdering him too - but while his visit makes Maria realise that she could be wrong, it makes Carla suspicious. She visits Jed Stone
Jed Stone
John Edward "Jed" Stone, played by Kenneth Cope, is a fictional character from the soap opera Coronation Street. He was a lodger of Minnie Caldwell's in the 1960s, and her nickname for him was "Sunny Jim"...
, taking him out for lunch and quizzing him. She is startled to see the bruises on his neck and when she asks if Tony is responsible, he runs away. She also questions Tony's henchman, Jimmy Dockerson (Robert Beck
Robert Beck (actor)
Robert Thomas Beck real name Mark Thompson, is an English actor. Educated at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, Middlesex.He has been appearing on British television since 1991...
), confirming her suspicions.
On 6 February 2009, Tony locks Carla in the factory and, after an explosive showdown, Carla confesses that she loved Liam and not Tony. Guilt-ridden, Tony confesses that he had had Liam killed after she demands the truth. Horrified, Carla escapes and drives off in a rain storm after a violent struggle, leaving a devastated Tony behind. Maria, out walking her dog, sees this from across the street. Carla hires old business colleague Luke Strong
Luke Strong
Luke Strong is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Craig Kelly, the character appeared throughout 2009. Luke took over Carla Gordon's share of the Underworld factory with Tony Gordon...
(Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (actor)
Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
) to look after her interests during her absence. It is revealed after her disappearance that she is in Los Angeles with a friend though Tony is unaware of this. Shortly after her departure, it is revealed that Carla has filed for divorce and leaves her wedding ring with her solicitor.
Almost a year passed with no sign or word from Carla but on 19 October 2009, Tony is shocked to get a call from Carla, asking to meet him in the cemetery. He isn't pleased as it is the day of baby Liam's christening. She knows that he and Maria are together as she had kept in contact with Leanne. When he reveals that they are engaged, Carla demands that he call it off, sell his share of the factory to her and leave Weatherfield for good, or else she will report him to the police for Liam's death. The night of the christening, Tony orders Jimmy Dockerson, the man who had killed Liam and threatened Jed Stone, to murder Carla. He and Carla have a fight and she knocks him out, smashing him over the head with a candlestick. Tony tells Carla that she has killed him but he will cover it up in return for her silence. However, Jimmy is merely unconscious, and after a showdown with Tony, Carla says she will get her revenge one day and returns to Los Angeles.
2009—
However, Carla returns again on 23 November 2009, when she is contacted by the police, following Tony's arrest. She visits Maria and they argue but later console each other. She is then questioned by the police but is released without charge. Wanting to be sure, Carla returns to Underworld and reveals to the workers that she is back, and promptly shreds the paperwork connected to Jimmy. Later she visits Tony in prison and he confesses he set her up for the false murder. She cries and tells him that he's going to Hell.Jimmy is arrested in December 2009, and the police question Carla again. She admits that Tony confessed to killing Liam, but she didn't believe him and left. Michelle
Michelle Connor
Michelle Sinéad Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Kym Marsh, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 3 April 2006...
(Kym Marsh
Kym Marsh
Kimberley Gail Marsh is an English actress and singer.- Early life :Marsh was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester and raised in Garswood, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
), Liam's sister, finds out and charges into the factory, dragging Carla out into the street by her hair. Everyone is shocked and disgusted that Carla knew about Tony killing Liam, and everyone leaves her by herself. The factory girls and Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
(David Neilson
David Neilson
David Neilson is an English actor best known for portraying Roy Cropper in Coronation Street from 1995 onwards....
), who Tony confessed Liam's murder to, all learn to forgive her.
In March 2010 she enters into a relationship with local binman Trevor Dean
Trevor Dean
Trevor Dean is a fictional character in the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by actor Steve Jackson. He first appears during the episode airing on 28 January 2010 as a lodger for Janice Battersby ....
(Steve Jackson). She then sells Tony's shares of Underworld to Nick Tilsley
Nick Tilsley
Nicholas Paul "Nick" Tilsley is a fictional character in the British soap opera Coronation Street. Originally known as "Nicky", he was the first-born child of Brian Tilsley and Gail Platt , and has been portrayed by three different actors. Warren Jackson from 1981 to 1996, then by Adam Rickitt...
(Ben Price
Ben Price
Ben Price is a British actor, best known for playing the third incarnation of Nick Tilsley in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
), despite friend Leanne, who was once married to Nick, warning her that he shouldn't be trusted. In May 2010, Robbie Sloan (James Fleet
James Fleet
James Edward Fleet is an English actor. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the dim-witted Hugo Horton in the BBC situation comedy television series The Vicar of Dibley.-Personal life:Fleet...
), one of Tony's cellmates, is released from prison after serving his 15 year sentence. Before he is released, Tony hands a gun to Robbie, ordering him to kidnap and kill Carla and Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh is an English actress.Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington, Lancashire. As a teenager, she was moderately interested in acting, but wished to become a social worker. She applied to drama school to be with her friends, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
). Later on, Robbie helps Tony to escape from prison and they head to Weatherfield. The police come to the factory to warn Carla that Tony has escaped from prison and tell her to be vigilant and stay indoors. Robbie follows Tony's orders, and ties Carla and Hayley to chairs in Underworld and not long after, to Carla's horror, Tony makes his appearance.
On 9 June 2010, Tony frees Hayley but does not free Carla. Determined that they will both die together, Tony then sets the factory alight after dousing the place with petrol. Carla manages to untie herself and hits Tony over the head with the chair but it doesn't have any effect. They continue to fight while the factory burns to the ground. Carla eventually escapes from the factory and runs into Trevor's arms, and Tony decides to take his own life by going back into the flames. The whole Street watches in horror as Underworld explodes dramatically and Tony perishes in the blast. The next day, she finds Maria standing in the charred remains of the factory, and talks to her before Maria leaves again for Ireland. Maria sulkily tells her that she can never forgive Carla for what she has done in the past, and whatever she does will mean nothing to her.
Carla returns in July 2010, after going on holiday to South Africa with Trevor, and discovers from Leanne that Nick has been looking after Underworld whilst she was away. However, after paying a visit to Nick later that day, she finds out that he has fully taken over, leaving her with no business. She takes legal action finding that Nick has no planning-permission. However, Leanne goes behind her back and gets George Wilson (Anthony Valentine), the proprietor of Turner's Joinery to sort it out for Nick. Eventually Carla and Nick settle their business differences and set out to rebuild the factory.
After her relationship with Trevor, who accuses her of still being infatuated with dead lover Liam, comes to an end, Carla turns to alcohol to numb her pain. Realising that she has a problem she goes to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. However, she soon flees when she sees that Leanne's fiance Peter Barlow
Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)
Peter Francis Barlow is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode aired on 15 April 1965...
(Chris Gascoyne) is there. He is quick to see that she has an alcohol problem and offers his support, with Carla insisting that she is in control. However, Peter is the first person whom Carla calls, when she gets extremely drunk at her apartment. She confides in him that she is unable to move on following Liam's death and blames herself for triggering the chain of events which led to Tony organising the hit-and-run.
At the opening of Nick and Leanne's new bar The Joinery on 12 November 2010, Carla struggles with her growing attraction towards Peter. She once again returns to alcohol and is arrested for drink-driving. After Peter collects her from the police station, she confesses that she has fallen for him and makes a pass at him. However, Peter rebuffs her advances, leaving Carla both embarrassed and upset. Later Carla is secretly delighted when a guilty Leanne confesses to her that she has cheated on Peter by sleeping with ex-husband Nick and uses the information to try to break Peter and Leanne up. She is later upset when Peter is injured in The Joinery explosion and tram crash in December 2010. Carla later admits to Leanne at the hospital that Peter had been helping her with her alcohol problem. She explains that she has feelings for Peter and tells Leanne she doesn't deserve Peter due to her affair with Nick. Carla drunkenly accuses Leanne of marrying a dying man to gain control of his assets and reminds her of her days of prostitution to which Leanne reacts by slapping her in the face.
On the day of Peter's wedding to Leanne on 14 February 2011, Carla flees the church when Peter reveals to the congregation how she has a crush on him. She later takes on Maria as her new PA at the factory and comforts her when business client Frank Foster
Frank Foster (Coronation Street)
Frank John Foster is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. Frank is played by Andrew Lancel and was introduced as a business associate of Carla Connor...
(Andrew Lancel
Andrew Lancel
Andrew Lancel is an English actor. He is best known for his current role as Frank Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and formerly in his role as DI Neil Manson in The Bill.-Biography:...
) attempts to rape her. However, due to the factory being in dire financial straits, Carla and Maria are forced to do a lucrative business deal with Frank, as there are no other contracts available.
In June 2011, Carla's mother passes away, and she initially refuses to attend her funeral, but Frank talks her into it and she eventually attends. Afterwards, she asks Peter to meet her, where he tells her she should not drink, but Leanne catches them and thinks they are having an affair before Carla explains to her about her mother's death. Leanne and Peter later argue, as she feels he cares more about Carla than her and his son Simon
Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, and has been played by Alex Bain since 2008. The character was played by twins Jake and Oscar Hartley on his birth in 2003.-Character development:...
(Alexander Bain
Alexander Bain
Alexander Bain was a Scottish philosopher and educationalist in the British school of empiricism who was a prominent and innovative figure in the fields of psychology, linguistics, logic, moral philosophy and education reform...
). Carla ignores Leanne and goes drinking in the Rovers with Frank, who later lets her stay the night at his house as she is too drunk to drive home.
Carla leans on Frank for support as she struggles to see Peter with Leanne. She hears about Leanne's pregnancy when she overhears Peter talking about it in the Rovers. This later causes problems for Peter and Leanne when they fight over his feelings for Carla. Carla tries to congratulate Leanne on being pregnant but she won't accept it. Carla later sleeps with Frank and the next day agrees to go on a romantic trip to Rome with him. She later sees Peter talking to his father Ken (William Roache
William Roache
William Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
) about Leanne and Peter seems jealous when he sees Carla with Frank.
Carla tries to help when she learns that pregnant Leanne has fallen down the stairs. She is told by Leanne's mother Stella Price
Stella Price
Stella Price is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Michelle Collins. Collins' casting was announced in April 2011 and she began filming her scenes in May. The actress commutes from north London to Manchester for filming. Collins joined the show in...
(Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins
Michelle Danielle Collins is a British actress best known for her roles on television in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Cindy Beale, Coronation Street as Stella Price, and BBC dramas Sunburn and Two Thousand Acres of Sky...
) that Leanne has lost the baby. She later finds Peter, who has left the hospital after another row with Leanne, stood outside his flat. She tells him she's sorry about the baby and takes him upstairs for coffee. Peter tries to get her to leave, but she tells him that he needs to listen to her and what she thinks just once. Carla tells Peter that she can't leave him because he will get the urge to drink alcohol if she does. She tells Peter that she's in love with him and has been for a very long time. Peter denies feeling anything for her. She tells him that she doesn't expect anything to happen but she has to tell him how she feels. Carla reminds Peter she's supposed to be leaving for a trip with Frank soon but she doesn't really love him. Carla and Peter then kiss very passionately but he then pulls away from her as he cannot cheat on Leanne.
On 15 August 2011, Frank proposes to Carla in the Rovers. After originally rejecting his offer, a confrontation with Peter causes her to change her mind, and later that day she tells Frank that she will marry him. Frank then helps Carla and Leanne to become friendly with each other again and a truce is agreed between both couples.
A few weeks later after meeting Frank's parents and having a brief argument with him, Carla decides to show Frank that she does not need him so gets into his car, to which Frank jumps in and warns Carla she is drunk and can't drive. Carla, ignoring his warning, goes speeding round the corner and runs over Stella before smashing through the bookies. Peter hears the crash outside and calls for an ambulance. Frank places an unconscious Carla into the passenger seat to make it look like he was driving and Stella stepped out in front of him. Frank takes an alcohol test to see if he was drink driving but the test is negative. At the hospital, Stella's partner Karl Munroe
Karl Munroe
Karl Augustus Munroe is an English football defender who plays for FC United of Manchester. FC United is his eighth club. He has had spells with Macclesfield Town making 119 league appearances, Altrincham, where he played 86 games scoring two goals and Hyde United.-Early career:Munroe started of...
(John Michie
John Michie
John Michie is a Scottish television and film actor, best known for his role as DI Robbie Ross in the STV Scottish detective television series Taggart and for playing Karl Munro in Coronation Street.-Early life:...
) asks Frank about the accident and he continues to lie that he was driving, but Karl is suspicious. When Carla regains consciousness, Frank explains to her the story he told everyone and she believes she should confess but Frank tells her she will be convicted and could be sent to prison. Carla confesses the truth to Peter while visiting Stella in intensive care, and he tells her that she should be ashamed of herself.
On 19 September 2011, Carla confesses to Frank that she cannot marry him and that she has been having doubts for weeks about their relationship. Frank demands the truth and Carla tells him that she loves Peter and has already spoken to a solicitor, much to his anger. Carla returns home to find an angry Frank waiting for her, demanding answers. He demands that they try again, and even suggests that they try for a baby, but Carla asks him to leave and he refuses and begins to get violent towards her, pinning her up against the front door. Frank then rapes Carla violently, and leaves her cowering on the floor while he re-buttons his shirt. He flees and Carla calls Maria, who comes over and Carla tells her that Frank forced her to have sexual intercourse with him. Maria urges Carla to report the rape to the police and Frank is arrested, however, he soon gets released under condition that he will not approach Carla, or her workplace. Frank breaks the conditions and threatens Carla into dropping the allegations against him, and when she refuses, he asks his parents to help him bring down Carla's factory. When Frank appears back on the street, while going to cancel the after-wedding party, Peter punches him and leaves. He waits for Frank in the street, and when Frank says that Carla was asking for it, Peter physically attacks Frank and is arrested by the police for Assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
. Peter's arrest makes his wife Leanne suspicious because of the lengths he would go to to stop Frank, and Leanne confronts both Carla and Peter and demands to know why Peter is so protective of her if they have not had an affair. Carla struggles to cope and tries to commit suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. She phones Peter's mobile and Leanne hears her saying a slurry 'goodbye' to him. Leanne and Peter realises that Carla is planning to commit suicide and phone an ambulance before heading over to the flat where they find paramedics working on Carla's lifeless body beside an empty bottle of pills.
Carla survives the attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and agrees to begin conselling to help her cope throughout her rape ordeal. Carla is stunned when Stella Price
Stella Price
Stella Price is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Michelle Collins. Collins' casting was announced in April 2011 and she began filming her scenes in May. The actress commutes from north London to Manchester for filming. Collins joined the show in...
(Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins
Michelle Danielle Collins is a British actress best known for her roles on television in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Cindy Beale, Coronation Street as Stella Price, and BBC dramas Sunburn and Two Thousand Acres of Sky...
) confesses that she too was raped as a teenager, and Carla and Stella soon bond as they both discover that even though they don't always get on, they have a lot in common. Stella reveals that she has never told anyone about her rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, not even her partner Karl. She explains that while working in a pub, an unhappy customer when alone one-night pinned her up against the bar and raped her.
Casting
On 20 September 2006, it was announced that the former Dream TeamDream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
actress had been cast as Carla Connor. A Coronation Street spokeswoman said of the new addition, "she will make quite an impact. The phrase ‘dosh doesn’t make you posh’ was made for Carla. She’s a WAG on the cobbles, beautiful but tough and ambitious". King had briefly appeared on the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
soap in 2004, as a housewife who tried to seduce Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ryan Thomas, the character first appeared during the episode airing on 25 December 2000, when he comes looking for mother Eileen at the Battersbys' home.Jason is very much the...
.
Alison King returned to filming during August 2009, following maternity leave. Her comeback was described as an explosive conclusion when she returned, according to a show insider. Carla was back briefly during October and reappeared permanently from late November onwards.
Reception
Columnist Grace DentGrace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
has described Carla as "...an alluring vision, raven haired, classy, sultry and replete with guile". The episode aired on 3 December 2008, in which Carla married Tony Gordon attracted an impressive peak of 10.5 million viewers. In an online poll conducted by MSN Entertainment, Carla Connor was voted as 'Soapland's Sexiest Female of 2008', with more than 31% of votes. At the 2008 Inside Soap Awards, the character was voted 'Best Bitch'.
In January 2009, the character was heralded as the new Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Patricia Phoenix from 1960 to 1973 and from 1976 until 1984. Elsie Tanner was one of the original core characters on Coronation Street and appeared in the very first episode...
: "strong, dark, mouthy, pushy, full of herself and nobody's fool, ready to put the world to rights with another lashing of lipstick. Has Coronation Street finally found the new Elsie Tanner in Carla Gordon I'm starting to think that perhaps they might have". The return of the character on 19 October 2009, after an eight month absence, drew large ratings for the show's episodes which were watched by 9.88m (42.2%) and 10.24m (40.5%) respectively.
Radio Times soaps columnist David Brown gave mixed comments in his response to Carla's rape storyline. He made the point that while it was being treated with more sensitivity than the rape of Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor
Georgia Taylor
Georgia Taylor is an English actress, known for her role as Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street and currently for playing Ruth Winters on Casualty. She was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester....
) was, back in 2001, the impression was that the writing team were placing too much pain and anguish upon Carla's character: "By having Carla undergo a vicious violation like rape, it begins to feel that she’s being systematically targeted by the storyliners. There’s no denying that the scenes in this evening’s double bill are powerfully acted by Alison King, but there seems to be an underlying mission to crack open Carla’s carapace and expose her vulnerability. In the wider world, rapists often choose their targets regardless of the victim’s circumstance, so there’s no saying that Carla wouldn’t suffer an assault of this sort. But, in a fictional setting, it does begin to look cruel when so much anguish is piled onto one person’s shoulders."
See also
- List of soap opera villains
- List of Coronation Street characters (2006)
- Alison KingAlison KingAlison King is an English actress. She has had major television roles as Lynda Block in the Sky One television series Dream Team, and as Carla Connor in Coronation Street since 2006.- Early life and education :...