Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley confirms dramatic Eva and Sam aftermath

Coronation Street's Eva Price has a huge shock in store as she learns that Sam Blakeman was responsible for her horror fall at the Rovers Return.

Next week's episodes see Carl Webster come under suspicion after the worrying incident as Eva can't remember what happened, but it's not long before a shock confession is made which threatens to tear Eva's family apart.

Viewers saw Sam push past Eva this week while searching for his phone at the Rovers, causing her to take a tumble down the cellar stairs and lose consciousness.

We recently caught up with Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Eva, to hear more about where the story goes from here…

What was your reaction when you learned that Sam would be responsible for Eva's fall?

"I was surprised initially, but because of Sam's storyline and where he's at with it, once I'd read the script, I thought: 'Ah, okay, this makes a lot more sense'. Eva takes mental health very seriously from what happened with Aidan – that was the first time she'd come across a situation like that and I think it's really opened her eyes up to how important mental health is.

"It's a difficult juggle for her because she's got a family to protect. She doesn't want to feel scared, but at the same time she feels deeply sorry for Sam. She just wants him to get better. So it's finding that balance and finding that trust again, I suppose."

Next week, the investigation initially points towards Carl. Does Eva think it could be him?

"No, she shuts it down. There's something in the back of her head – deep down she knows it's not him. Although Eva and Carl haven't had that many scenes together, whenever they have it's always been quite a nice exchange.

"Eva very much speaks as she finds – especially when it comes down to customers who are coming in and out of a busy pub. She's like: 'Well, you know, he's always been alright with me. Why would he do it?' It makes no sense to her. So straight away, she doesn't believe that it's him."

How will Eva react when the truth comes out?

"It's a bit of a mixed bag, because what happened really scared her. Once she's out of hospital, she's genuinely in a lot of pain. She is kind of fifty-fifty initially, but she very much understands that it takes a while for certain medications to kick in with certain patients that are in the same position as Sam.

"Eva wants to take a step back briefly while she recovers. Hopefully Sam adjusts to his medication. Then Eva's first thing will be to get the family back together because that is always at the forefront of her mind. She can't stand any arguing. That's always her first objective – to keep the family tight."

Will there be conflict between Eva, Leanne and Toyah at first?

"Oh, for sure. The great thing about Eva and her sisters is that there's no weak link. They are all strong and feisty. They're very headstrong and determined, and when it comes down to their opinions and beliefs, they will fight. Although Eva does tend to be the peacemaker, she will also hold her own when she really feels strongly about something.

"So there is that dynamic as well, which has been great because I adore scenes with the sisters. I feel really lucky because they're such brilliant actors. You can throw anything at them, and you know they're going to be amazing."

How much fun do the three of you have on set together?

"We love it. There's quite a bit of corpsing sometimes – I'm not going to lie! But we just get on like a house on fire. Obviously we stayed in touch anyway, but since I've come back, we've just slotted back into how things used to be with the dynamic of the sisters and that's been really nice. It feels like I've never been away."

Will Eva find some peace and stability?

"Eva does crave peace and stability, but it doesn't necessarily come her way so much! Eventually that is what she would like the most, but I think we've got a few mountains to climb before that…"

We've heard that there are a couple of big situations coming up…

"Yes, there are a couple of storylines coming up where the family are at the forefront. If Eva thinks her family is in any kind of jeopardy – which for one of the storylines they certainly are – she turns into mafia wife style! She will do anything to defend her family and that's what I love about her.

"It's my belief that if she was pushed that far, she would kill for her kids. So I think it's an interesting part of her personality. She's a very, very strong character.

"The thing that I love most about Eva is that she can be quite unpredictable. Yes, she's older, wiser and more settled as a mother, but she's still got that really feisty side to her personality when she makes split decisions sometimes.

"As we've seen in the past, that is still there. She makes a decision when she's hot-headed."

Would you like to see Finlay Driscoll, Ben's brother, come in? Is he the missing link in the family?

"I think that would be really interesting and it's something that Aaron [McCusker, who plays Ben] and I have spoken about before. Absolutely, why not? Let's throw another one in! It just makes things more and more interesting."

What has been your favourite part of being back?

"I think my favourite aspect is her relationship with Ben. I feel that they're a really strong unit in navigating the family together. They've had a lot thrown at them since they've been back, including a very tricky mother-in-law type figure in the brilliant Pauline McLynn, so they've had a lot to deal with.

"But what is brilliant about them is that no matter what life throws at them, they come back together. They're great parents. I adore working with Aaron. He's such a brilliant actor.

"From the moment we had a chemistry test, I came out of the room and I said, 'It has to be him'. I knew the final decision would lie with the powers that be, but I said, 'Please, it has to be him – he's perfect'. We just clicked. He's a wonderful guy, but I'd seen his work already. I knew how brilliant he was, and I was just so thrilled that he came on board to play Ben because I just think he's brought so much to that character. To see him and Eva together is just wonderful."

Would you like Eva to have a big glam wedding with Ben one day?

"Is the Pope a Catholic?! We speak about it often. Even in scenes sometimes, I play that with him. If anyone's talking about marriage or engagement, she's like, 'mmm, mmm'!

"I think it would be amazing to see Eva finally get married and have a huge, fabulous wedding with all the extended Irish family there. Can you imagine? I mean, it would probably be carnage, but it'd be wonderful."

Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

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