CORONATION Street’s Tyrone Dobbs has been left paralysed after the horror hit and run car accident in Monday’s episode.
The mechanic – who is played by actor Alan Halsall in the ITV soap – will be given the devastating news next week after he was hit by the car that swerved to avoid Betsy Swain.
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As Tyrone’s family raced to the hospital doctors fought to save his life and, in the coming days, it will become evident that the mechanic has suffered a severe spinal injury and is facing a long road to recovery.
Speaking about keeping the storyline a secret, Alan said: “Sometimes people get to read about your storylines going forward in the press, but obviously this one isn’t, and I think it will have caught people by surprise.
“We are ten weeks on from filming it and no one knew. Obviously no one was expecting it to be Tyrone that actually got hit in the end, so I think it would have been a real shock.
“It’s always good to keep the audience on their toes. I look forward to watching it and seeing people’s reactions.”
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And he’s revealed how there’s a real possibility that Tyrone may not recover from his injuries.
“Initially, there is a concern that he might not get up at all,” Alan said.
“There’s real fear there, and not just fear from Tyrone but fear from Fiz and the kids and his mum and gran.
“They don’t know if he’ll walk again or how life is going to look going forward. But he knows they will all try to stick together and face what the future holds.”
And the storyline will see the focus shift to Fiz as she tries to cope with everything – as well as taking on full financial responsibility for her family.
Alan added: “I think Tyrone obviously knows that a lot of the pressure will fall on Fiz – the kids, work, the house.
“He’s aware of that, and I don’t think he wants to add his stress onto her shoulders.
“Tyrone always has good intentions and maybe doesn’t go about them in the right way, and I think even in this situation – as opposed to just talking to Fiz and trying to help, he goes about things in the way that he thinks best, trying to shield them from what is happening when he should be honest about how he feels.”
But the story will see Tyrone try to come to terms with what’s happened to him.
He added: “The show’s brilliant at doing the research. The thing is with a spinal injury, though, is that they’re different for every single person.
“So speaking to the medical professionals who are on set, I’m wanting to know ‘how much can I turn my shoulders? How much can I turn my head?’
“But everybody has a different reaction to their surgery, and therefore there is no real timeline.
“It means that we don’t have to be so specific, because that could also bring its challenges.
“But it’s being aware that there are people at home who this has happened to for real.
“The charity is also arranging for us to meet someone who has been living through a similar situation so it will be invaluable to get some insight from them.”
Biggest soap stunts
Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters’ lives.
Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.
CORONATION STREET
- Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash – and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
- Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O’Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.
EASTENDERS
- Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap – she returned as a guest before the character’s death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
- Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus – the 764 to Barking – lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).
EMMERDALE
- James Barton’s death (2016): Interestingly about James’ (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.
The ITV soap has been working with the Spinal Injuries Association closely on the storyline.
A spokesman for the charity said: “We are grateful to ITV studios and Coronation Street for raising awareness of the trauma of spinal cord injury, the terrifying impact of sudden paralysis and the long-term management of neuropathic pain and permanent mobility issues.
“Spinal Injuries Association has offered clinical expertise and guidance to accurately represent, as much as feasibly possible, the experience of those who may be living through similar trauma to Tyrone.
“Seeing the impact on his life and those around him like Fiz will increase public understanding of the experience for the 105,000 people living with spinal cord injury across the UK, many of whom struggle to access the care and expertise they need.”
