Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) returns to Coronation Street this week after visiting his mother Michelle (Kym Marsh) in Ireland.
While Ryan is relieved to return home, it immediately becomes clear that the adored character isn’t doing so well, as he turns to steroids to boost his confidence.
Ryan Prescott noted, “When he comes back from Ireland, he’s fully seated in that position of denial.”
‘He’s already persuaded himself that he’s getting back on his feet, and that this newfound interest in fitness will pull him out of his shell and give him the confidence he needs. It offers him something to concentrate on and distracts him from his suffering and the fact that he looks so different.’
Ryan’s self-esteem is very low, so he dismisses Carla’s (Alison King) suggestion that he start creating motivational videos online.
Ryan claims that no one wants to see his face on TV, and later in the episode, he is shown accepting a gift addressed to a fictitious name. He then obtains some illicit steroids and injects himself, oblivious to the hazards, as Ryan Prescott explained:
‘I believe that’s the last thing on his mind. He’s basically hanging onto that sensation of acceptance or glorification, whether it’s via adulation or someone applauding his aesthetic for his physique.’
Next week, it’s evident that Ryan’s obsession with his physical appearance is already affecting how he treats his friends and family, as Carla snaps some pictures on his phone and mistakenly posts a nude torso image, which enrages Ryan.
‘She ends up using his phone to snap some photos of them all together, but she also uploads an additional shot to the cloud that Ryan took, in his bedroom with his shirt off,’ Ryan said.
‘When Ryan returns from the restroom, everyone is already talking about it, and Ryan realizes what has occurred. Because of the humiliation, his natural instinct is to flee.
‘All of his anger and irritation is aimed towards Carla.’
‘It’s that spot of fragility between illusion and confidence or make-believe confidence,’ Ryan continued, commenting on the difference between Ryan’s actual life and the one he has online, where he is gaining followers and likes on social media.
‘Once you reach a point where you can’t accept yourself, it’s a weird journey to find your way back to self-care and self-worth, and I believe Ryan is on that road.
‘Having too much attention from the people who live near him but from whom he cannot escape is a nightmare for him. That is the source of both his indignation and his embarrassment. He doesn’t want to be this flamboyant man in real life. It’s revolting.’