Coronation Street stars Alison King and Vicky Myers have lifted the lid on Carla Connor and Lisa Swain’s long-awaited wedding, and while the couple do finally get their big day, it comes with the kind of soap-style chaos fans would expect from Weatherfield.
After everything Carla and Lisa have already survived together — from a supposed return from the dead to medical emergencies, kidnapping and imprisonment — their path to the altar is anything but smooth. Just as they are preparing to begin their married life, disaster strikes when a flood destroys their wedding venue.
Alison, who has played Carla since 2006, said Carla is crushed by the setback. She explained: “Carla feels absolutely devastated, or as she might put it, ‘well narked’. This is supposed to be the best day of her life, and now it’s all ruined. She is not happy, and it’s everybody’s fault, even though it’s not.”
But Lisa refuses to let the day fall apart. After Ryan reminds her that what matters most is not the perfect setting but the marriage itself, she makes a decision that changes everything.
Vicky explained: “It’s something that Ryan says that Carla had said to him. It’s basically about how Carla just wants to marry Lisa. Any hour, any venue will do, and that sets something off in Lisa. She realises they don’t need all of this big fuss, which Carla didn’t particularly want anyway. It was more about the intimacy between the two of them. So Ryan and Lisa try to set some wheels in motion and recover the day.”
With help from those around them, Lisa manages to surprise Carla and save the wedding. The ceremony goes ahead, giving the couple the happy moment they have fought so hard for. But in true Coronation Street fashion, the joy does not last for long.
A flashforward scene shown earlier this year had already teased that a brutal murder would rock Weatherfield on the day of Lisa and Carla’s wedding. In those scenes, Lisa’s daughter Betsy discovers a body before later being questioned by police.
As the celebrations continue into the night, viewers will hear a horrifying scream as the killing takes place, before the identity of the victim is finally revealed.
Alison admitted she was delighted by the dramatic twist, saying: “I thought it was great! Now that’s drama. That’s how it has to be. I’m just glad it wasn’t our drama and that the wedding happened and they had their day!”
The fallout, however, will hit the newlyweds immediately. With Betsy the one who finds the body and Lisa being a police officer, the murder is set to cast a dark shadow over the very start of their married life.
Vicky said: “It will also be a trial for Carla and Lisa at the start of married life as Betsy is the one who finds the body so they have got something difficult to deal with from day one of married life. As a family after what they have been through I think they feel very equipped now to be able to deal with things as a team.”
Their relationship has already been tested time and again, from the Corriedale crash that left Lisa badly hurt to Carla’s terrifying kidnapping at the hands of Lisa’s dangerous ex Becky. But despite all of that, both actresses believe Carla and Lisa have truly found their soul mate in one another.
Alison said Carla fell for Lisa because she sees parts of herself in her. She explained: “Carla loves Lisa Swain because she’s like sweet and sour and she sees that in herself as well, so she likes the vulnerable side, and the fact that Lisa has shown that to her. Lisa was a huge turning point for her. The fact that she liked her, like that, is everything, really. It was the person, not the gender, that didn’t come into it. They don’t need each other. They chose to be together.”
Vicky believes the couple’s strength lies in deep mutual respect, trust and the bond Carla has built with Lisa’s daughter Betsy. She said: “There was something instantly between the two of them. Lisa respects Carla, she respects her as a businesswoman and as a woman in general, the loyalty she has to her family and friends, and the way that even in the first conversation that they had, Carla was interested in Lisa’s own daughter. They trust each other and they talk. They look out for each other and they will stand by each other.”
While this marks Lisa’s first wedding in Weatherfield, Carla is no stranger to dramatic soap marriages. She has previously married Paul Connor, Tony Gordon, Peter Barlow twice and Nick Tilsley. But Alison says this wedding feels completely different.
She shared: “I was relieved it wasn’t a big wedding and there was no big dress for Carla this time. The surprise reception at Underworld is Carla’s favourite bit. She likes to feel that even though she shouts at everybody, they still love her – all the workforce. So she likes to be part of something. Those factory workers are Carla’s family. It is her safe place.”
For Swarla fans, the wedding may finally happen — but the real drama begins the moment the vows are over.
