Coronation Street will weave the colour purple, a global symbol for domestic violence awareness, throughout its latest episode to highlight the issue.
The ITV soap is currently showing Todd Grimshaw, played by Gareth Pierce, as the victim of months of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his partner, Theo Silverton (James Cartwright).
In the latest instalment of the soap, viewers will see Grimshaw finally report Silverton to the police after enduring a “horrific beating” in a stylised episode which uses purple to highlight those impacted by domestic violence.
In a preview of Wednesday night’s episode, residents of Weatherfield including Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) are seen dressed in purple or donning a purple accessory.
Dobbs and Bolton, who were both victims in previous domestic abuse storylines on the soap, and other characters wearing purple will serve as a visual reminder of the reality of how many people are impacted by the issue.
Grimshaw will also wear the colour – which represents peace, courage, survival, and dedication to ending abuse – as he prepares to free himself from the abusive relationship.
Producer Kate Brooks said: “We wanted this episode to illustrate that Todd is unfortunately one of many; his story, whilst harrowing, sadly reflects the lives of so many other people who are entrenched in abusive relationships.
“As powerful and unflinching as this episode is, it also offers a glimpse into how there can be hope in the darkest of times, and that there is support out there to guide and help people rebuild their lives.
“Ultimately this is a story about surviving – and people gaining strength and support from others who’ve been through similar situations.”
Pierce, who called the storyline a “tough watch at times”, hailed the importance of highlighting the issue on TV and said: “So many domestic abuse survivors have shared their experiences with us throughout this storyline.
“Weaving those voices into this episode through the use of colour felt like a powerful reminder of how widespread stories like Todd’s are.
“I haven’t seen the finished episode yet, but the moment Todd first locks eyes with another survivor in the police station was particularly raw and cathartic to film.”
Galop, an LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity, was called in by the Coronation Street research team to ensure the story was told accurately and sensitively.
Ben Kernighan, co-chief executive of the charity, said: “Stories like Todd’s play such an important role in shining a light on LGBT+ experiences of domestic abuse and how no-one should have to face abuse alone.
“It can be really hard for people who’ve experienced abuse and violence to feel safe coming forward for help.
“For LGBT+ people, there’s often an added fear that services won’t take their experiences seriously or that they will have to explain, defend, or justify parts of their identity or relationship.”
Coronation Street also consulted with Manchester Women’s Aid, a charity which specialises in domestic abuse services, for the ongoing storyline.
Claire Harris, strategic lead of the charity, said: “This storyline with Todd has really highlighted the coercive nature of domestic abuse, the impacts it can have in all areas of someone’s life and the barriers and challenges they can face to safely leaving.
“No-one should ever have to face this alone and support is out there.”
Coronation Street is available on ITV1 and ITVX.
