Coronation Street’s Seb Franklin star Harry Visinoni says his girlfriend acted as a body double

Coronation Street‘s Seb Franklin star Harry Visinoni has said that his girlfriend Ellie Isaacs had to act as a body double for his onscreen mother Abi in his final scenes.

Soap watchers were left heartbroken after the character died on Friday night’s episode following a hate crime attack after Seb and his girlfriend Nina Lucas were targeted by thugs due to Nina’s goth identity. 

Talking about the hard-hitting storyline and his final scenes on Monday’s Lorraine, Harry, 21, said that due to the Covid pandemic, his girlfriend Ellie was used as a body double for his onscreen mother Abi (Sally Carman) for the emotional hospital scenes.

The actor said that Ellie’s hand was used instead of Abi’s and it was nice that his girlfriend could be a part of his final ever scene on Coronation Street.

He said: ‘It was quite funny, quite a good moment, they asked me to bring in my girlfriend to play Abi’s hand. So in the scenes aired on Friday, this hand here, this is my girlfriend’s hand.

‘Very funny, it was really nice, she got to see what I do before I left. She features in my last ever scene on the Street. It is big stuff.

Harry added that his girlfriend actually found the scenes difficult as he had to lay in a hospital bed and wearing serious make-up following his character Seb’s injuries. He said: ‘Yeah, she was quite distressed!’

In February, Harry and Ellie, who is a motivational speaker, celebrated their one-year anniversary, with the actor sharing a sweep snap looking lovingly into each other’s eyes. 

Talking about the hard-hitting storyline, the actor said that he had a meeting with producer Iain MacLeod and connected with the difficult scenes.

He said: ‘I think you know, it’s quite emotional because I have become quite attached to him, I have grown up with him [Seb] – boys to men together.

‘I had a meeting with Iain MacLeod the show’s producer for potential avenues for Seb, this came up as an option, I connected with the storyline, something I wanted to be part of.

‘I just thought it was a very worthy ending for Seb, I thought: “Yeah, this is right, very emotional obviously.”‘

The storyline has many similarities to what happened to Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered in a Lancashire park in 2007, and the soap has worked with a foundation set up by the late 20-year-old’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE.

Talking about the importance of the emotional scenes, Harry said: ‘For me, it was just about being as truthful as possible with it. 

‘The difference with this storyline to other storylines typically on a soap, this is based off something that actually happened. It is very important to get it right. 

Talking about what he planned to do next in his career, Harry said: ‘I think, at some point, I’d love to do some theatre. 

‘I haven’t set foot on stage since school, I really fell in love with it. The last five years [on Coronation Street], it’s been the best.’

Coronation Street fans were left heartbroken after Seb died on Friday night’s episode following a hate crime attack.

The builder – who is played by actor Harry in the ITV soap – passed away after suffering injuries from the attack on him and his girlfriend Nina.

The pair were targeted by a gang of thugs who shouted abuse about Nina’s goth identity. 

The storyline has many similarities to what happened to Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered in a Lancashire park in 2007, and the soap has worked with a foundation set up by the late 20-year-old’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE.

Nina woke up from her coma after the shock incident but Seb’s brain function was severely damaged.

In the emotional episode, Seb’s mum Abi was left heartbroken and in tears as she sat by his bedside after being told his brain was no longer functioning.

The doctor told her: ‘Sebastian failed the brain stem tests.

‘His brain is no longer sending messages to his body. We were increasing the amount of organ support for Seb but I’m afraid it wasn’t working and his body has shut down.

‘There was nothing more we could do and his heart has stopped. I’m so very sorry, he has died.’

Also on Friday’s programme Abi was questioned by police officers who asked if Seb and Nina had ever taken drugs.

Elsewhere, as Nina woke up she appeared to mumble that she had seen Corey Brent just before the attack.

Taking to Twitter after the episode to say goodbye to the show actor Harry wrote: ‘Goodbye Coronation Street. It’s been a wild 5 years on the cobbles, and I’ve loved every second. I’ve made memories that I will cherish forever and have worked with the most amazing people.

‘I couldn’t have dreamt of a better way to spend these years of my life. Thank you so much for all the support Seb has received throughout his turbulent time on the street, and thank you so much for the amazing response to this immensely important and relevant storyline.

‘There couldn’t have been a more worthy end for Seb. It was an honour to be trusted to tell this harrowing story and I hope that we have been able to make a difference and raise awareness.’

He signed off by saying: ‘It’s been an honour and a privilege. Lots of love, Harry x’

Opening up about his final scenes recently, Harry said that he had found them ‘very emotional’ and even ‘welled’ up when the director called it a wrap.

He told The Mirror: ‘At the end it was like, ‘It’s a wrap for Harry!’ kind of thing and got a clap and all that. I was welling up! Which is a rare thing for me, really.’

On Friday fans took to Twitter to share their heartbreak over the storyline.

One wrote: ‘Omg just caught up on tonight’s #corrie and I am a sobbing mess!!!! Such a heartbreaking story and acted so beautifully by all. Incredibly moving scenes. Rip seb @itvcorrie’.

Another fan wrote: ‘That scene of abi finding out about seb…no words. sally carman is exceptional, as is this entire storyline. #Corrie

Another said: ‘Actually speechless at tonight’s @itvcorrie. Heart-breaking, devastating and upsetting. Can’t believe they killed Seb off, just wow.’

A third said: ‘Oh man wasn’t expecting that in corrie.’

Another added: ‘Seb can’t be dead, this can’t be real. I’m in tears!’

Harry has recently told how he was happy for his character to be killed off as he hadn’t meant to stay in the soap ‘forever’.

He said: ‘I had a meeting with Iain MacLeod, the producer of the show, just to discuss potential avenues for Seb going forward and this storyline got mentioned as an option and I thought, well, it’s an end for the character and it’s a storyline I’d love to be a part of and it’s the perfect way for me to wave goodbye to Seb.

‘The thing is, I never intended to stay in the show forever and while I was there it was always a goal of mine to play a major part in a story that’s as big as this for the show. So yeah, when it came through the door it wasn’t something that I could pass up, really.’

On Wednesday, Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina, discussed the hard-hitting storyline ahead of the episode, admitting she ‘wanted to cry’ after seeing her character’s injuries in make-up.

The actress added that she hopes to do the important scenes ‘justice’ and that it ‘breaks her heart’ knowing this has happened and does happen in real life.

Speaking to The Sun, Mollie said: ‘I remember the first time I had the make-up done, I hadn’t filmed any scenes yet and I’d just been rehearsing it in my mirror at home by myself. As soon as the makeup was done, I just wanted to cry.

‘I remember looking at my reflection and thinking: ‘Wow’. I already knew it was awful but when you’re actually in it, I thought I could cry.

‘It was a really strange feeling. I kept thinking about all the scenes and what was coming up. It did help in a way as I was able to hold that feeling when we filmed the scenes. It was a massive help.’

Mollie added to the Mirror: ‘Because this stuff has happened it’s such an important story to tell. I felt a lot of emotions. I am really privileged to be given such an important storyline but I am also nervous because I want to do the story justice.

‘I have really put my all into it and hopefully it shows. You see the human effect this has on someone who you would say is strong. Knowing this has happened and does happen breaks my heart.’

Mollie said that she worked closely with the late Sophie Lancaster’s mother Dr Sylvia Lancaster OBE to make sure she was as ‘accurate’ as possible during the storyline.

Sylvia told the publication it was ‘lovely’ to speak to Mollie and that people are ‘looking behind’ her character Nina’s clothes and image.

She added: ‘It so important to get the message out there, intolerance and prejudice, we have to get it out of society. Alternative people like other minorities deserve to walk down the street without being abused physically or emotionally.’

Sylvia also appeared on Wednesday’s This Morning where she praised Coronation Street for handling the storyline ‘sensitively’.

She said: ‘You can tell, they sort of live and breathe the work they’re doing, and you know they’re going to do things with sensitivity and the best they can, and you can’t ask any more than that.’

Sylvia said that due to Covid her foundation has not been able to go into schools or festivals but they have still ‘kept busy’ by ‘working in a different way’.

She added: ‘Sometimes it only takes a couple of seconds stand back and think about and see what we can do and make a difference to people’s lives.’

Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby, then 21, were set upon and beaten in a park simply because of the way they looked on 11 August in 2007.

Sophie’s injuries were so severe, she died in hospital 13 days later, aged 20. Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris, then both 15, were sentenced to life in prison.

Her mum, Sylvia, set up the Sophie Lancaster Foundation in her daughter’s memory to focus on creating respect and understanding of subcultures in communities.

When the storyline was first discussed producers and the research team approached Sylvia who was delighted to be able to work with them to help highlight the issue.

Sophie’s mother Sylvia said that the soap covering a story about the abuse alternative people face ‘means such a huge amount’ to her.

She said: ‘I know first-hand the abuse, harassment and violence that alternative people suffer.

‘Hate crime is usually directed at already stigmatised and minority groups and Sophie was assaulted three times before that final, sustained and brutal attack that took her life – but she never reported the earlier assaults.

‘Coronation Street covering this issue means such a huge amount to me. We want alternative people to know that they shouldn’t be putting up with this prejudice and intolerance, and they should report it.

‘We want the wider community to really appreciate the horror of this violence and understand that difference in itself, is not frightening, it just makes us all who we are.

‘We will also use this platform to continue raising awareness of Sophie’s case with the police and judiciary to make sure that hate crime against alternative people is recognised and treated with the degree of severity that it deserves.’

On the importance of tackling this storyline Coronation Street, producer Iain MacLeod said: ‘The issue of intolerance and hatred towards people from different cultures and subcultures is arguably more relevant now than it’s ever been.

‘This incredibly hard-hitting storyline, which centres on a senseless act of violence, will draw in characters from all corners of our narrative universe and will, we hope, leave the audience with a clear message: everyone, regardless of how they look, how they dress or any aspect of how they live their life, should be treated with tolerance and respect.

‘The story will run across the rest of the year and beyond, with many twists and turns, and will be heartbreaking and dramatic in equal measure. In the end, the story will see an optimistic outcome emerge from the traumatic attack.’