Julia Goulding: Memory loss version of Corrie’s Shona is more scrappy and fun – Aberdeen Evening Express

Julia Goulding has said the new version of her Coronation Street character, Shona Ramsey, is a bit more scrappy shes a bit more fun.

The actress was absent from the cobbles after Shona was shot in the Christmas Day siege, leaving her with severe memory loss, and she was sent to a specialist unit in Leeds for rehabilitation.

Her treatment coincided with Gouldings maternity leave after she had a baby boy in November 2019.

Goulding is now back on the show playing the new incarnation of Shona, who does not remember her family, including fiance David Platt.

She said: Its been really fun. Obviously its very rare for an actor to be able to play a completely different character in a long-running soap, and its been fabulous.

At first, it was really difficult; obviously we did lots of research about the specifics of Shonas brain injury.

She added: During lockdown, Shona and David and the family, theyve all been getting to know each other a lot more, and now its really fun.

As serious as the situation is, and her injury, we are able to have some fun with it as well.

However, Goulding said the changes to her role have also brought challenges.

Its really strange actually, because its so hard not to slip back into old ways with characters that Ive known from before, even when discussing it when were on the floor with the director, and having to keep reminding myself that I dont know the history of Sarah and Gary, for example, she said.

I dont know the history of Gail and Davids relationship. So to not work based on my knowledge of that has been refreshing, but its also been quite hard, because Ive had to keep reminding myself of it.

But in terms of playing her, the writing kind of speaks for itself. It just comes off the page at me, and its been dead easy in that sense.

She added: The essence of who she is still there, and so we are starting to see more of the old Shona come through, obviously with no filter.

So its weird because were now living in this new normal world post-lockdown, and its kind of like Im getting used to the new normal Shona as well.

When Ive played her for a bit longer, Ill be able to answer. Ill probably end up liking playing new Shona better, because shes a bit more scrappy shes a bit more fun.

Coronation Street continues on ITV, and from September 14 will return to six episodes a week after recovering from the slowdown in production caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Julia Goulding: Memory loss version of Corrie's Shona is more scrappy and fun - Aberdeen Evening Express