Coronation Street star responds to ‘special and overwhelming’ Lisa Swain and Carla Connor fan reaction
Coronation Street fans are going absolutely wild for #Swarla, and the reaction hasn’t gone unnoticed by the stars involved.
Fans of the ITV soap have spent months speculating a potential romance between Carla Connor (Alison King) and DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), and now it seems as though that may be on the cards.
In recent weeks, Carla and Lisa have shared a charged moment, which left Carla questioning her feelings in the aftermath, having only ever dated men throughout her life.
However, nephew Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) was eager for her not to be embarrassed or in denial about her feelings, pointing out that it was 2024 and perfectly normal.
Unfortunately, it seems that Lisa may be the obstacle in their potential relationship, as she is determined to put all of her focus onto daughter Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), following the death of her wife, Becky.
‘I think for her, there’s a lot of emotional baggage there,’ actress Vicky Myers explained. ‘She’s been through so much with Becky, who was taken so unexpectedly in the job that Lisa is still doing, and in the job that Becky loved doing.
‘It shattered the family dynamic completely and I happen to think that Lisa was a completely different person before all of this. The grief, the way that it’s now moulded her and built up this harsh exterior and this façade, means she’s so deeply broken that it’s all from fear.
‘She is petrified of opening up. She’s petrified of loving somebody and even getting into a relationship again. Because again, she doesn’t trust herself, and we’ve already seen with her saying that she doesn’t need any complications. That’s absolutely true, but she’s meaning it from herself. She doesn’t want that confusion.
‘She’s already dealing with enough, and she’s a person that would fall in love. She doesn’t just go on one-night stands, it’s not a frivolous thing. She will fall in love, and she knows that about herself, because she feels things really personally and deeply, and she just doesn’t want to go there right now. But who knows? Maybe the feelings will become too strong.’
Fans are certainly keen for the women to give into their true feelings, and have been very vocal about it on social media – something that Vicky admits she was not expecting.
After revealing that she was initially ‘shocked’ by the reaction, she explained that after thinking about it for a while, she understood why fans are so in favour.
‘When I come to think about it, [it’s not shocking], because representation is so important. And we really don’t see enough.
‘We are all so different, and relationships are so different, that I can really understand why the reaction has been so strong and positive. Which has been a little bit overwhelming, but quite lovely and very special.
‘I feel really privileged to be a part of that and to hear what the fans have got to say about it because it’s very much about them. We want to make sure that whatever happens going forward, that it is the most authentic we can possibly portray it. Everything that we do, we want to tell the truth of it and for it to resonate with people and to help people and to educate people. They’re the most important things.
‘That’s why we do what we do. And to interest people and hopefully change the narrative that this is happening, people are having same-sex relationships and that is perfectly fine.’
Whether or not Carla and Lisa are set to give into their true feelings, Vicky admits that she would like to see Lisa form a relationship with somebody.
‘I’d like to see her softer side, which is slowly coming through. But to be authentic, things just don’t change overnight. And if your world has been turned upside down like that, and you try to put a brave face on it and carry on, these things can manifest in different ways. Over time, the cracks start to appear, you can only coast for so long.
‘She’s facing different triggers, especially from the job that she’s in and then with Betsy getting older, that family dynamic, she knows herself she’s not been the best mother. She knows herself she’s not been the best person. So the way that she is dealing with it is in a protective way, and she feels that she is doing it the right way, protecting Betsy and protecting herself, both from the exterior world and emotionally, by putting up these walls.
‘But we have seen the occasional softer side, the odd smile here and there, which is really lovely. And the humorous moments, which are relatable to everybody. So yeah, I would like to really explore that and experiment with her, because this is a new side to her that we haven’t seen yet. So that would be lovely and challenging. Because to play this formidable woman who’s so complex, then bring this side out to explore – because we all have that side – it’d be really something.’
