Fans of the ITV soap have been desperate for a romance to develop between Carla Connor and DS Lisa Swain

Coronation Street star Alison King has hailed her castmate Vicky Myers as a ‘trooper’ as she discussed their character’s ‘growing bond’. Fans of the ITV soap have been desperate for a romance to develop between Carla Connor and DS Lisa Swain.

Viewers have watched the pair grow closer in recent months as they’ve leant on each other for a much-needed mutual friendship. As both women let their usual strong guard down and explore their vulnerabilities, Lisa as a parent and widow, Carla as a divorcee and businesswoman, an indeterminable bond has been formed.

But in upcoming scenes, as Carla finds herself in court on a charge of actual bodily harm (ABH) after Betsy told her mum she saw Carla knocking a young lad off a bike with her car door, a seemingly gentle touch feels electric and Carla wonders what she’s just experienced and if Lisa felt the same.

Alison has now spoken about working with Vicky, after the actress was made a regular in Corrie earlier this year after impressing as Swain. “I’m loving working with Vicky, she’s an absolute trooper and she’s very talented,” the soap favourite gushed.

On the storyline itself, she continued: “I’m enjoying seeing their friendship coming through, with this friendship we’re seeing a more vulnerable side in them both, rather than just two very strong women. It’s nice to see Carla opening up to another woman, rather than it all being intermingled with men.

“She’s suddenly got somebody around that really gets her. She has that closeness and banter with Ryan at home but with Lisa she can show that vulnerability that she so often hides. Lisa’s so serious but she quite likes it and she doesn’t really know why, because in that sense they’re polar opposite.”

Asked if she thinks Carla and Swain’s closeness is something that Carla’s maybe not even fully aware of herself yet, Alison shared: “Definitely, I think every step of this friendship is taking her by surprise. The closeness between them for Carla comes from concern yet at times she can’t really put her finger on what this is.”

As well as her relationship with Lisa, Corrie fans have seen Carla grow closer to her daughter Betsy. “She definitely sees her younger self in Betsy, even though Betsy’s more privileged than Carla was when she was little,” Alison said. “Carla grew up from absolutely nothing, whereas Betsy’s got these steady arms around but she can see the vulnerability because she’s missing something and is acting out because of it.

“Now, when Carla was young, she was used to that and acted out so she can pick up on the missing links and understand her, because she was like that at her age. Lisa’s giving herself such a hard time, telling herself I can’t do this, I’m not worthy. But there’s something in Carla that goes, well I can, I can tell her what’s what because I’ve been there.

“I think it’s surprised Carla and she’s actually quite enjoying it, because she’s not had a child to bring up, she lost the chance of having her daughter and she did really really want that. She can handle Betsy, she finds her quite funny and the things she does amusing because she’s done them herself. She knows Betsy, she gets her.”

And it’s something Alison is enjoying the opportunity to play. She said: “I’m absolutely loving it, it’s something that’s been thrown at Carla and is just really fun to play. They all seem to interlink, there’s a lot thrown in the mix but after Peter I think mummy Carla is quite funny and she’s doing quite well in her own way. She’s trying to keep them all in line but she also seems quite relaxed in the fact that they’re all around her.”