Coronation Street's Sarah Platt confesses to killing Theo Silverton just as her boyfriend Kit Green proposes, leaving her feeling like the 'worst person in the world', actress Tina O'Brien has revealed.
Sarah's killer secret unravels
Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) was revealed as the body found by Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), shifting the big Coronation Street mystery from 'who is it?' to 'whodunnit?'. Suspects included Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce), Theo's long-suffering boyfriend and abuse victim; Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby), the adoptive daughter of Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), who Theo had killed; Danielle Silverton (Natalie Anderson), Theo's perennially furious ex-wife; George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley), the closest thing Todd has to family on the street; his girlfriend Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins); and Gary Windass (Mikey North), once Theo's best friend turned enemy.
The suspect list could have extended much further; by the time Theo was smashed across the head and sent flying from scaffolding to his doom, he was universally hated, even by other street baddies. It soon became clear that Gary and Todd's best friend, Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien), were hiding something dark, drawing the ire of their respective partners, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) and Kit Green (Jacob Roberts). After a dinner party where Maria challenged them over an alleged affair, viewers learned they weren't concealing any illicit bunk-ups; Sarah had killed Theo and called on Gary to help cover it up.
Confession and proposal
Struggling under the immense pressure of her killer secret, Sarah admitted her guilt to Todd, leading him to terminate their friendship. Next week, she is forced to confess again, this time to Kit, when he pops the question. 'She feels like the worst person in the world. It should be a perfect moment, but she is so racked with guilt and shame that she can't enjoy it at all,' Tina said. 'She knows that telling him means the 'perfect relationship' he believes they have is over.'
Elaborating on Sarah's feelings, Tina added: 'She can see how much he loves her and she definitely wants to be with him. I know there's been mention of people thinking that Sarah and Gary should be together, but she really does love Kit, she just doesn't know what to do. She is struggling with the idea of getting married while hiding such a massive secret—she doesn't know how to behave anymore and is hitting breaking point.'
Can Sarah and Kit survive?
Tina reflected on whether Sarah and Kit can survive the revelation that she's a killer. 'Sarah's concern is that Kit will feel deeply betrayed, especially if he finds out that Gary was in the know, but he himself wasn't. I think she loves him, and she really wants to be with him, but I think she worries that if he finds out the truth, has she got to try and convince him not to go to the police about her. She worries he will see her as only being with him to keep herself out of prison. It would create a horrible dynamic of mistrust and confusion, and it's hard to say if that could ever be repaired.'
Fan reactions and divided opinions
Fans have been divided over who Sarah should ultimately be with: Kit or Gary. Tina said: 'If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said absolutely — Kit is the right person for Sarah. But after everything she has been through with Gary, it's complicated. Even though they never crossed a line, there's a level of emotional support and care still there. It's hard to know if there is still something more, or if they are both just blind to it.'
On audience reaction to Sarah killing Theo, Tina remarked: 'It's been really good. I've had so many people coming up to me in the street, genuinely shocked. I was so convinced that everyone would know it's me that it's been interesting to hear feedback—some people were completely surprised, others suspected it, but everyone seemed to love the dinner party scene and the reveal.'
