Interview: Nick's Day in Court
With Nick's day in court looming, will he really go ahead with his plan to land all the blame on David?
Ben Price gave us an insight into Nick's dastardly deeds...
Why does Nick decide to take responsibility for the stolen money? Is his guilt catching up with him?
There’s a duplicity with Nick. He’s now thinking that actually he better come clean but I don’t think he would have been that altruistic if he hadn’t have been caught and if it hadn’t have all came out. Initially, he thinks he probably should take the blame because a lot of it was down to him but Nick is also very aware about what he is trying to create and when it all starts to fall down and he thinks he can’t get his way out of it, he realises he is going to have to show remorse in some way so part of that is using David to show the family that he has got remorse.
How much of what Leanne says to Nick affects him?
He is very torn. Suddenly it becomes real that he might go away for a long time and the life that he is trying so hard to build up again could go. He starts to think if he keeps quiet there is a chance he could get away with it.
Does he give David a second thought at this point?
His brother has been inside and done all that, so he thinks that David won’t mind so much!
When Nick stands up in court and goes back on his word, is that a snap decision or a thought-out decision?
It is a snap decision in the moment. He is standing up there in court and he feels this is all a bit more real now. He is scared it is going to backfire on him.
Why does he blame his brain injury for what he did?
It is a fact, he does have a brain injury. I don’t think that really made him do the things he did, but he has been different since so he thinks he can have a go at using that as an excuse.
What does he expect from the Platts after what he says in court?
He thinks they will come round. That is the essential part of the Platts, they have to come round, they always do and there are a lot of mitigating circumstances as to why he took that money although taking it off your Grandma is not ideal, not by a long way, but he doesn’t believe he is evil. He may have been misguided and he may have been stupid but he doesn’t think he is spiteful.
How confident is he that Sarah will forgive him?
He thinks his sister is his sister so, a bit like David, they kick and scream then eventually they find someone else to kick and scream against so he thinks, "Well, we will just get through this."
What’s going through his head at this moment?
He is absolutely panicked, it is not a comfortable situation for Nick. He was fine dealing with the police before, he was confident that he was smart and he could worm his way out, but now it’s been presented in court and he doesn’t think Paula is quite up to it. He feels it is up to him to sort it out.
How does Nick appease what he has done in his head?
He thinks it’s not like they don’t have an asset. They do essentially have that money tied in the business so it’s not like he took the money and gambled it away or spent it on a car - he spent it on a business. That’s how he levels it in his head and that’s important to him because he thinks he didn’t just steal it or go on a jolly.
You’re close friends with Jack P Shepherd in real life. What is it like now playing warring brothers?
Yeah, we love all that. We do get on really well and because of that we are not afraid to be quite nasty to each other. It’s essential when you are going for it, you go for it. It’s very easy to work with Jack because we both recognise that, especially on Coronation Street, you have to show different sides of a character. This is a family story and that’s why I think they are such a strong family because we all play our parts.