Poor Sam Blakeman's mental health crisis is about to get worse after some harsh words from the most unlikely bully on Coronation Street – Roy Cropper. But something seems off. Sam paid a high price for being a hero. He was the one who exposed Megan Walsh's sexual abuse of Will Driscoll. However, Megan did her best to keep Sam quiet – destroying his confidence, sabotaging his academic performance, making him look like a sad, jealous pervert, and implying that no one would ever believe him.
The torment was so severe that it pushed Sam to take unprescribed Ritalin in a desperate attempt to boost his grades. This contributed to the unbearable stress and anxiety that culminated in a shock collapse on the Cobbles. It wasn't until he was rushed to hospital, and his adoptive mum Leanne Battersby realised that this was far more serious than simple exam worries, that Sam finally confided that Megan was abusing Will. Unfortunately, Sam's ordeal was far from over.
Sam's Paranoia Increases
Not only were the police unable to charge Megan, but now Sam was being harassed and intimidated by a vengeful Will. At the same time, the troubled teenager was dealing with snide comments from Hope Stape, who speculated that Daniel Osbourne was only being nice to Sam because he wanted information about Megan. With his paranoia increasing, Sam began losing his grasp on reality. After he was convinced by his family that he imagined seeing Will and Megan together in the precinct, he started suffering auditory and visual hallucinations. At one point, he ran through the street, believing he was being chased by Will. Sam fell over and when he looked back, nobody was there.
Roy's Uncharacteristic Advice
This is the start of a devastating child psychosis story for Sam, which will explore just how badly Megan has impacted his mental health. So far, we've seen the young lad's anxiety manifest as Will. But that might be about to change. Upcoming scenes of Coronation Street will see Sam unravel as he starts to suspect he's being stalked when his paranoia is fed by the most unlikely person – Roy Cropper.
As Sam gets ready for his maths exam, it's clear he's not himself, and Leanne is concerned. Meanwhile, Nick and Toyah voice their concerns about Sam and wonder if counselling would help with his anxiety. Sam listens in, overhearing a very different conversation. Later, Nick and Toyah share their concerns about Sam with Roy, who offers to call by for a game of chess. Will Roy be able to help?
Roy finds an agitated and distressed Sam surveying a tracking device he found in his school bag. Who is tracking Sam? But as Sam walks down the street with Roy, he receives some distinctly 'Un-Roy' advice – trust no one. Did Roy say the wrong thing, or is Sam's mental health taking another worrying turn?
