Coronation Street star on Summer's conflicting emotions over pregnancy
What will the teen decide?
Harriet Bibby has revealed that there are conflicting emotions for her Coronation Street character Summer Spellman over her shock pregnancy.
The teen's news is revealed on-screen next week, and it comes amid a difficult time for Summer's on/off relationship with boyfriend Aaron Sandford (James Craven). Now, speaking for the first time about her alter ego's storyline, Bibby has said that Summer's initial reaction is not a happy one.
"I don't think she's had time to process it," the actress explained. "I think her first reaction is not a great one. It's not happy. It's not what you'd want to feel when you first find out that you’re pregnant.
"I think she suddenly goes into panic mode. Summer is the type of person who risk assesses everything and thinks of the worst case scenario. And I think that is what she's done when she's found out she's pregnant. They're not ready as a couple, and she's not ready. She's got her own issues to deal with."
Summer is only just getting her health back on track, after several months of neglecting her diabetes, as well as struggling with an eating disorder. Aaron has been a tower of strength for Summer during her troubles; but he has his own worries over living with his violent father.
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It's Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) who becomes Summer's confidant, allowing her to come to terms with her pregnancy. Although Aaron is supportive when he eventually finds out about Summer's secret, the other men in her life create extra chaos.
"[Paul] reacts quite calmly and just takes it a step at a time and thinks, 'Right, well, what's the next thing we're going to do?' After talking to him, she does go and tell Aaron, and he's very understanding.
"They get back together in that moment and he says, 'Let's not make a decision now, we need to just come to terms with it'," Bibby told us.
"But then Todd and Billy find out and it's just like panic stations, it's kind of the opposite reaction, it's all 'we need to make a decision'. They want to figure it all out now rather than come to terms with it and let her make a decision in her own time."
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When a couple that Summer met recently, Mike and Esther, show an interest in adopting Summer's baby, she is thrown into more turmoil. "She’s completely shocked, she doesn't really know Mike and Esther - she literally met them a week before this happens.
"I think she knows that they are good people and she trusts that her judgement of them is a good one, but Summer has a strong moral compass and as soon as they suggest it she’s debating in her head, 'Is this even right? Is this illegal?' It sounds crazy to her but then when she speaks to Esther, she connects to her as a woman.
"I think she understands and really sympathises with her position that she just wants to be a mother. I think when Summer starts to understand that she softens and actually considers the proposal. It's a big consideration."
Viewers will have to wait and see what Summer decides, but Coronation Street will air these scenes from next week.
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