Coronation Street Character Continues To Raise Awareness Of Brain Injuries

Coronation Street actor Ben Price has been digging a little deeper into the long-term effects of serious brain injuries.

His character Nick Tilsley was involved in a road accident that left him fighting for his life in hospital.
 
Having been discharged, he is now displaying various signs that the injury has changed his personality and this is putting a tremendous amount of strain on his relationship with wife Leanne and her adopted son Simon.

Mr Price appeared on ITV1 show Lorraine today where he talked about his latest role.

He told host Lorraine Kelly that he worked closely with head injury charities in order to add authenticity to the storyline.

During the programme, the 41-year-old also visited a centre in Preston that is run by Headway - the brain injury charity.

The actor spoke to people who had suffered serious brain problems, who confirmed they had changed in the aftermath of their accident and that the rehabilitation process can be extremely difficult and prolonged. In some cases, individuals never completely recover from a severe brain trauma.

"This is people's lives, that's what is important to get across. This is happening to people," Mr Price remarked during the interview.

He added that Headway helps people deal with the long-term impact of brain injuries and the charity is particularly adept at putting affected families in touch with others who have had similar experiences.

Mr Price was keen to give an accurate portrayal of a brain injury sufferer and those that he spoke to at the care centre in Preston confirmed he was doing a good job of it.

The Daily Star revealed earlier this month that the actor has signed a contract extension, which will keep him in the soap for another 12 months at least.

This may suggest that the producers are planning to cover Nick's recovery in more depth - highlighting the fact that it can often take a long time to overcome such injuries.

Expert Opinion

The story that surrounds this particular character has been fantastic in highlighting the serious issues that people suffering from brain injuries have to face, and it has given good profile both for brain injury in general but also in allowing charities like Headway to spread their message further. <br/> <br/>“Hopefully more people will now understand the journey that the injured along with the family and friends have to go through. The story line we have seen has focused on various issues and how people react and adapt to someone who has suffered from a brain injury. <br/> <br/>“I am really pleased for my colleagues at Headway that this is getting the exposure it needs in the popular media. Along with our specialist lawyers, we are dedicated to helping people who have suffered a head or brain injury and to make sure they receive the best possible rehabilitation and care and hope that this continues to attract the attention it deserves” <br/> Neil Whiteley - Partner