Corrie Curtis actor Sam Retford says keeping character's secret was 'tough'

Coronation Street actor Sam Retford has admitted that it was 'tough' keeping his character's condition a secret.

Wednesday night's episodes of the ITV soap saw Curtis Delamere finally come face-to-face with the truth as a doctor told him there is absolutely nothing wrong with him and his heart.

The medical specialist told Curtis that he suspects he suffers from a Factitious Disorder and urged him to go and see a psychologist.

Speaking to press about how hard it was to keep the storyline a secret, Sam said: "It’s been pretty tough, cos it’s something that’s fascinated me so much and it’s something that I’ve really tried to delve into and it’s influenced all of…I didn’t pretend it wasn’t going to happen.

Coronation Street actor Sam Retford has admitted that it was 'tough' keeping his character's condition a secret (ITV)

"For example if you were to watch it back, you would see all of his actions are influenced by this, so it’s something that always been in the very forefront of my mind but never something I was able to talk about.

"It’s been pretty tough. A few people guessed it, which is good. We left some sort of clues in there, we didn’t want it to come out of the blue because it is something that influences people’s every day decisions and their day-to-day life, it’s a really debilitating disorder," Sam continued.

Wednesday night's episodes of the ITV soap saw Curtis Delamere finally come face-to-face with the truth (ITV)

Asked if his friends and family had been trying to get it out of him, Sam, 22, replied: "Yes, I’ve had people, but a lot of friends and family didn't want me to tell them, they want to go in for the ride which is really cool so they get to enjoy the story.

"But yeah, I’ve had quite a few people trying to get it out of me, that Game of Thrones feeling but not quite as dramatic!"

Speaking about how he prepared for the storyline, Sam explained that he did a lot of research to ensure that he did it justice.

Curtis has been lying to Emma Brooker about his heart condition for months (ITV)

"I think it was so interesting to research hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and where that came from. I started off with the clinical aspect, I talked to psychotherapists and the research team at Corrie.

"It’s so interesting because the medical field is so split as to whether the lies are a conscious choice or subconscious. I really enjoyed developing it."

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30pm and 8:30pm on ITV.