James Cartwright thinks Corrie death was inevitable
James Cartwright believes the death of his Coronation Street alter ego Theo Silverton was more satisfying for viewers than having to sit through a lengthy trial.
James Cartwright thinks it was inevitable he'd be killed off on Coronation Street.
The 41-year-old actor's alter ego Theo Silverton was revealed on Friday (01.05.26) to be the victim teased in a flashforward back in February and while the details of what exactly happened to him have not yet been explained, James was unsurprised to be told he'd be killed off following months of abuse from Theo towards his partner Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce).
James insisted it was better for viewers in the long-term for Theo to meet a sticky end, rather than for the abuse to be played out again in a court case.
Speaking on Inside Soap's Soap Scoop podcast, he said: "I join a long line of people who've met Corrie's own brand of justice.
"I think ultimately, it was always going to be thus.
"I remember chatting to Kate Brooks, the magnificent producer. Theo was all her doing, really. It was her vision and she's wonderful.
"When we very first started, she said: 'Look, it's either going to be court or Corrie's own brand of justice'. Then, as it went further on, it was decided that there's no need for another court case. So off he goes, mate!
"With domestic violence, and as gritty as it was, the feeling was: 'Is there an appetite to relive it all when we've seen it?' I think court cases are only good as a device if there's new evidence, a shocking witness, or somebody saw something.
"But actually it'd just be Todd saying what happened, Theo denying it and then reliving all of those awful events. It's been a brilliant storyline, but also it's been quite brutal and whether there's an appetite to relive that when people [at home] are enjoying their corned beef hash, I don't know!"
The discovery of Theo's body will kickstart a murder mystery plot on Corrie, and while James admitted he knows who was responsible, he thinks his character made enough enemies to keep people guessing for some time.
He said: "I know exactly who's done it. He's basically upset everybody on the street. It could be Summer. I killed her dad, that's motivation! You've got George, because Todd's like a son to him. You've seen George punch me already!
"You've got Christina – Christina's a lunatic. It could be Todd, because he's just had enough. It could be Carl. There are many, many people it could be on that street, which I think is really exciting."
Despite his on-screen death, James hinted fans haven't necessarily seen the last of him.
Asked about the possibility of appearing in a flashback, he teased: "I could not possibly say! I think we'll have to see what happened, right? How unsatisfactory if we don't. I think there will be some flashbacks and I think you will find out precisely what happened.
"But all part of the fun is the journey of that. There is so much more to come. Keep watching – it gets juicier and juicier. Theo's death will affect everybody in a different way."
