Coronation Street has lined up a “huge argument” between Ben and Maggie Driscoll after a major secret is revealed. In scenes that aired on Friday (3 April), Maggie accidentally let slip that Ben might not know the full truth about his parentage.
The ITV soap then released a preview clip from Sunday’s (5 April) upcoming episode, which will see Ben challenge his mother. After a tense discussion, she eventually reveals that Alan, her late husband, wasn’t Ben’s father.
Aside from the fact that he may already have a secret relative in Weatherfield, the news understandably comes as a shock to Ben, and Aaron McCusker, who portrays the character, shared that it will affect the Rovers’ landlord immensely.
“He’s stunned and also livid, made worse by the fact he can’t go back and talk to the man who he always thought was his dad,” said the actor. “That makes it tougher to take, as he was very close to Alan.
“He also finds out that Alan knew he wasn’t Ben’s dad, and that he still stuck by Maggie – that endears him to Alan even more. He has a huge argument with Maggie, then goes straight out to the bar and gets stuck into the whiskeys.”
“His mum has lied to him again and this doesn’t come long after the fact that she tried to ruin Christmas Day with the whole baby thing. Ben just wonders when the lies are going to stop,” added the actor.
Naturally, Ben wonders what else Maggie could be hiding, with the latest revelation driving a wedge between them despite the fact that he’s very much accustomed to having her lie. This latest development, however, strikes deeper.
“Ben’s forgiven his mum for quite a lot already,” said McCusker. “He does acknowledge that she was a single mother who sacrificed a lot to bring him and Fin up. But maybe it will go a different way this time.
“I think it will take a while to get over this, but time’s a healer. I hope, in the end, they will be alright. He’s really upset that she’s lied to him for all these years… I’m sure he’s going to use this against Maggie for a long time yet.”
The revelation about Ben’s parentage came from a heated conversation where he and Maggie disagreed over the situation involving Will, who has been groomed by his athletics coach Megan Walsh.
Maggie believed that Ben hadn’t done enough to support his son, with this accusation leading to Ben making a cruel remark to his own mother. Despite being in denial initially, McCusker believes that Ben harbours some guilt over the situation with Will.
“He’s been through a stage of blaming himself,” said the actor. “Maybe he’s been too wrapped up in the move to Weatherfield, stuck in the middle of the war between Maggie and Eva or focusing on his two other kids.
“It just slid by him. He’s disappointed in himself and he’s going out of his way now to try to make things better. But with a teenage son it’s not easy, and he’s going to have to work hard to repair the relationship.”
While Ben’s relationship with Maggie will have some obstacles in the coming weeks, his bond with his partner Eva Price will continue to flourish as she supports him with his various circumstances.
“I think they’re a great couple,” opined the actor. “They’ve moved to Weatherfield to run this pub, then for the last few months they’ve just been hit by one thing after another – they’ve just not had a break.
“For any other couple, it could have torn them apart, but Eva is very strong and every time she sees Ben about to give up she’s there to put an arm around him… He’d be lost without her, and I really hope it’s a relationship that lasts.”
