Coronation Street's Ali Neeson took a major turn to the dark side on Friday night (October 12) as he murdered dangerous gangster Ronan Truman to protect his family.
When Ronan ended up with a metal fence post piercing his stomach in the aftermath of the Connor family's car crash drama, Ali sneakily forced him to pull it out at the scene – knowing that it would end his life. Hang on, isn't the local GP supposed to be cure people rather than killing them?
Ali's plan had the desired effect when Ronan passed away from his injuries and Michelle's shaken son later told the authorities that the villain took the post out himself. But now struggling with major guilt, how long can he keep the truth under wraps?
Here, James Burrows – who plays Ali – gives his first reaction interview about the big storyline twist.
What's it like being Corrie's new killer?
"I don't know – it's quite weird, really. When I started the show and I was told that I was going to be a doctor, I thought: 'This is quite nice for me. It's a very different character to what I normally play'. So that was quite cool.
What to Read Next
"But now I've really enjoyed doing this storyline. It's been an emotional rollercoaster. I don't know what they've got in store for me next year. I don't know if Ali is going to be the new mass murderer, or if it's going to be a one-off.
"There was a reason that Ali did this – it was to protect his family. I think his family would understand that as well, if they found out."
How do you think Michelle would react if she knew the truth?
"Well, there's a massive mixture of emotions going off at the minute. I think Michelle would react in the way that any mother would react – in complete and utter shock. Whether she accepts the reason why he's done it or not, is a different story."
Are we going to find out more about Ali's past?
"I think there's something underlying with Ali. When I started playing the character, I said in interviews that there's a slightly darker side to him. Obviously, he has now gone down a darker route, but nothing has been played out yet about the past.
"I hope they do bring up something, because I think there is something there. But we don't know that yet."
Would you like him to become a proper villain?
"I don't know really. Probably not. I always play the villain! When I got the part, I thought: 'This is quite nice for me. It's a bit of a change'. But either way, I go with it. I'll enjoy whatever they throw at me, really."
How does Ali feel about his actions in the aftermath?
"There's instant regret, and he's going to carry that for a long time."
Was it fun filming these on-location scenes, or was there a serious mood on set?
"A bit of both. We had three days to shoot it. It was quite intense. There was a lot going on with the stunts, all the different shots and the blood and the gore. But we always have a laugh. It's important to keep that. You can't be too serious all the time, can you?"
You've said in other interviews that you didn't want to stay on Corrie for longer than three years. Could a big storyline like this change your mind?
"I think because when I first started, it was all quite focused on getting Ali introduced into the show and it was a little bit flat. But I've really enjoyed doing this storyline. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I'm really enjoying where I am at the moment. I don't want to go anywhere, not yet."
How will this big event affect Ali and Ryan's relationship in the future?
"It's quite fun with me and Ryan. There's always been that love/hate relationship. There was a lot of hate to start off with, but afterwards there was some banter between them. I really enjoyed playing that, but I think there's going to be more mixed emotions and hatred between them now.
"But in the long run, what I hope gets played out is that Ryan will understand what Ali has done and that might bring them closer together."
Can you tease what else is next for Ali?
"He's reliving it all. It's haunting for him, so it's a question of how he's going to react. Will he go back to work? Will he feel normal again? I think that's the point of the storyline.
"You'll see that Ali is a little bit paranoid. He's worried about what people think. Robert has already become suspicious. So Ali is very edgy and not really himself. He's very emotional, and up and down like a yo-yo. His family know something is wrong and you'll see quite a few scenes play out between Ali and Michelle."
Will there be any aftermath to Michelle and Ali's argument at the crash site?
"A little bit. There's a lot of resentment at the start, because Michelle has not been there in his life. So I think he will have a little bit more hatred towards Michelle for blaming him. He did what he had to do for his family, so Ali will feel real mixed emotions with that."
Ali also wants to flee from the Street next week, doesn't he?
"Yeah. I think he's just scared. He's paranoid. He doesn't know what's going to happen. He probably thinks he's going to get arrested for it. He's in a place he's never been before. It's completely out of character for him. I don't think he knows what's going through his head."
How do you deal with the crying scenes?
"I think of sad things that have happened to me in my life. I lost a few friends when I was younger in car crashes and stuff like that. I think I always take myself back to those moments if I've got to really cry. I just try to think of real-life events.
"It can be hard if you've been filming for 12 hours in a day and you've been crying your eyes out all day. You come off set and you feel very emotionally drained. Sometimes you come out of work in a bit of a bad mood and it's quite hard to snap out of that.
"I think if you're doing emotional scenes over a period of a month or two, you can almost get slightly depressed. It really brings you down, because you've got to be in that mind-set first."
How do you switch off from that?
"I call my girlfriend and have a chat. She'll try to cheer me up. Or I'll go to the gym or something fun. I just try to take my mind away from that. Everyone at work is great. We have a laugh off-set as well. So that's really nice."
In real life, you have quite a few tattoos – including "laugh now, cry later" on your chest. Is that a life motto?
"It is a little bit. To be honest, don't judge me on my tattoos. I've got a lot of tattoos on my body and a lot of them are quite naff. I think I got my first tattoo when I was 16 on my leg – and I regret it! That one was a British bulldog. I went into a shop and I was like: 'I want that'. I didn't know what I was doing. But hey ho, it's all memories of your life, so I laugh about them.
"I'm quite conscious of not getting them on my arms or anything. I got one on my finger when I was young, but that's cool, because you can cover that quite easily and I wear my ring on that. I just don't think it helps when you're playing other characters – especially with a doctor. Doctors do have tattoos, I guess, but maybe not on their hands or their necks, so we try to get rid of them."
How many have you got?
"Probably about six or seven."
How many do you regret?
"Six or seven! (Laughs.) Yeah. I just laugh about it."
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our Coronation Street homepage
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video - hit play below for all the latest Coronation Street spoilers, as Sinead receives her diagnosis and Nick faces a backlash.
Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.
