Coronation Street star Ben Price speaks out about his decision to leave Nick Tilsley role
1. Can you tell us about your decision to leave?
The decision to go is based on wanting to spend more time with my family. I live a couple of hundred miles away from Manchester and I was away most weeks and have been for many years now so it was time. Of course I agonised over it as I’ve had the best time of my career here, I’ve had the best storylines and worked with the best family so it was tough to decide to leave all that behind.
2. Are you worried you made the wrong decision?
No not at all because I was making it for the sake of my children, I need to go and see them more. I am sure people can see that is not really a decision that is a life choice. I feel like I have done everything with Nick that I could do, I have explored every part of him and done a 1000 episodes in 7 years. That is a lot of big stories.
3. Were you surprised your leaving story involved quicksand?
I was a bit surprised and wanted to know how it tied into everything that has been happening to Nick. But it does tie in brilliantly. Psychologically Nick is losing it and losing his perspective over the whole situation with Steve and Oli. It all boils down to him wanting his own child and now he finds himself having to deal with two fathers to two sons that he is helping to bring up. There is no point of his life that he is going to be happy with this situation or able to deal with it.
4. What happens at the seaside?
It is a very weird situation, Nick suggests it, he is still trying to make it work, he is hoping that Steve or Peter will mess up on that day, that people would see Peter for what he is and that he would expose the two men in some way but he only ends up exposing his own personality flaws and issues. So he ends up storming off after a very nasty conversation with Steve and Peter and he doesn’t like what he has become.
It was a different exit storyline, what really pains him deep down is that Steve and Peter aren’t as nasty as Nick can be, they try to come to his rescue - would he do the same if the boot was on the other foot. When it really comes to it when you really push him he has the propensity to be more cutting and more hurtful and that is to his detriment. Steve and Peter are nice blokes and Nick is a bit more calculating.
5. Is he trying to kill himself?
No not at all, he is smart enough to know that he has bashed his head against the wall a long time and he knows he is never going to be happy with Leanne because there is too much else going on so he takes himself away from the situation but hasn't bargained for the tide or the quicksand. He isn’t planning to do a Reggie Perrin, he’s just stormed off onto a very dangerous part of the beach without realising.
6. Will you miss him?
I think if I hadn’t done as much as I have then I would miss him but in truth I feel like I have really examined that character and I have done everything I can, I’ve gone from very high to very low and all in between and actually I feel like I have come to the natural and and it’s time to say thank you that was amazing. I will miss the breakfasts at the Platts all of them sitting round that table and doing those fantastic family scenes.
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