Coronation Street’s Charlotte Jordan ‘hopes stalking storyline brings lasting change’

The British Soap Awards hit the headlines in the run up to this year’s show, with singer and national treasure Jane McDonald taking over hosting duties following the much-publicised departure of Phillip Schofield. Supportive cheers filled Manchester’s Lowry Theatre for Jane on the night, who had stepped in at only a few days’ notice and immediately made the show her own.

But while the Yorkshire-born singer received universal praise, the real stars of the evening were the great and the good of British soap, who fought it out in 12 categories, ranging from Best Comedy Performance to Best Soap. A shining star was Coronation Street ’s Charlotte Jordan.

The 28-year-old actress was front and centre as stalking victim Daisy Midgely in the soap’s gripping acid attack storyline, which took home a hat-trick of awards. This haul included one of the most coveted of the night, Best Dramatic Performance, for Charlotte herself.

“Oh no, more public speaking,” laughed an overwhelmed Charlotte, as she took to the stage for the third time, the plot previously crowned both Scene of the Year and Best Episode. She was presented with the trophy by Game of Thrones star James Cosmo, admitting that she was ‘fangirling’ him before she made her acceptance proper, which came slightly off the cuff, the star declaring at one point, “Oh gosh, what else do you say?”

“I was in total shock when they read my name out,” Charlotte told OK! . “You don’t expect to win and then it was total panic as I hadn’t prepared a speech. So it was shock, panic and then thinking that you sounded really stupid and didn’t say the right thing!”

The gripping Corrie plot saw Daisy stalked by an admirer named Justin, who despite Daisy’s complaints to the police, continued to torment her. On Daisy’s wedding day to boyfriend Daniel, Justin attempted to attack her with acid, only for Daisy’s friend Ryan to block his way, taking the brunt of the assault.

“I’m really proud of the story,” said Charlotte. “I think a lot of people aren’t aware of how many attacks there are, so we wanted to highlight the problem. Also, there was the aspect of the trauma that Justin put Daisy through, the fact that she wasn’t believed and the onus was on her to prove it. Hopefully this will help make some changes in the future for people going through this.”

Charlotte looked stunning on the night of the awards, in a long hot pink dress, her sleek hair in a glossy ponytail. “Red carpets are a very strange thing. You are like a deer in the headlights. But we’re very lucky as we have lovely professional hair and make-up people to make us look good,” she admitted.

In the audience watching Charlotte collect her award on the night was her boyfriend, Paul, “He’s really supportive,” said Charlotte. While Paul is not in the acting business, he did once appear in Corrie with Charlotte as a body double when Covid restrictions meant actors couldn’t touch.

The award is the peak of Charlotte’s career thus far, following her arrival in Corrie back in 2020. The Surrey-born actress previously found TV success in Nickelodeon teen show Summer in Transylvania, as well as Netflix drama Free Rein. With that series set at a stables, Charlotte admits she blatantly lied that she could horse ride to secure the role.

Previous to her TV success, she spent time in a girl band formed by Spice Girls’ Geri Halliwell, and as a youngster, she studied ballet before the acting bug bit. She credits her family for being behind her all the way through.

“I wouldn’t be able to have this career if I didn’t have such a supportive family,” said Charlotte. “I’m glad all the cancelled family meals, the dance competitions and all the ferrying about finally paid off and they got some return on their investment!”

The Corrie role came at the perfect time for Charlotte, after a spell out of work during the pandemic. “It was my first audition out of lockdown, so I was very, very keen for a job as you can imagine,” she said.

“The entire industry was crushed at the time, so I was thrilled to get it. I know what it’s like to be unemployed and I know what it’s like to wonder where your next job is coming from, so I am very grateful to be here getting to act every day.”

There’s more drama to come for Charlotte on Coronation Street, with Daisy having now shared a kiss with Ryan behind her boyfriend Daniel’s back. Meanwhile, the soap continues to be a national institution. Charlotte’s very aware of its rich history, and even has a dream character she’d love to share a scene with.

“I think Sarah Lancashire’s character Raquel and Daisy would get on like a house on fire,” she said. “They’ve got a lot in common. Sarah Lancashire is a dream and has obviously now conquered the world, so it would be great to see how I held up!”

Away from the Street, Charlotte credits British actress Emily Blunt as one of her heroes “She can do drama, she can do comedy, she can do musicals – people like that just fascinate me,” she said. And as for her own future? “There’s a lot of things I want to try,” she muses. “But obviously the dream is to keep working, do lots of different things and just hope that they’re good!”

Read more:

Georgia May Foote's wedding-ready hair includes a bob and a caramel-coloured balayage

Corrie fans accuse Sarah of 'new low' as she gaslights son into keeping affair secret

Source: Read Full Article