Aaron McCusker, who portrays Ben Driscoll on Coronation Street, has opened up about a 'huge moment' for the Driscoll family as they await the verdict in Megan Walsh's trial. The family has been on the show for less than a year but has already been entangled in major storylines, including the revelation that Maggie Driscoll killed her husband over 40 years ago and that Ben is Steve McDonald's half-brother.
A Year of Surprises
McCusker admitted he didn't expect the depth of the Driscolls' integration into the street. 'When Ben arrived, he said he had bought the pub for Eva and his children, and that they would live happily ever after. He obviously didn't have the funds and didn't actually own it, which led to a desperate scramble for money. He turned to his mother, who then moved in, adding to the complicated family dynamic,' McCusker explained.
'I knew he was happily in a relationship with Eva, and that his mother Maggie was a huge figure in his life, but I had no idea that he was going to turn out to be related to one of the biggest families on the street and at the centre of some really big storylines. He is still the same man that arrived, but his life has got a whole lot more complicated and I love that.'
The Trial of Megan Walsh
Now, the Driscolls are nervously awaiting the trial of Megan Walsh, the sports coach who groomed Ben's youngest son, Will Driscoll. 'It's difficult because even at this stage, Will still won't admit he's being groomed. Ben doesn't necessarily blame himself, but he knows he should maybe have seen it coming. He's trying to be a good dad and focus all his efforts on supporting Will,' McCusker said.
'He worries that the move potentially added to the control that Megan had over Will. Ben is still not sure exactly what went on. Is Will telling the truth that Megan is innocent? Actually, Eva is the one who has really got the bit between her teeth during all of this and is determined to make Megan pay for what she has done.'
A Huge Moment for the Family
After all the evidence is heard, Megan's fate is left in the hands of the jury. McCusker described this as a pivotal moment: 'This is a huge moment for them all but they don't want Will to feel under any more pressure so they are trying to be very pragmatic about it and accept that it might not go the way they want it to. They feel they have done enough and she has been exposed for the sort of woman she really is but it is all in the hands of the jury and we all know Megan is a master manipulator. Let's not forget she had the whole family fooled.'
