Coronation Street promotes DS Swain to regular character

 Vicky Myers has landed a permanent contract.

Coronation Street bosses have signed up Vicky Myers as a regular cast member after three years of guest appearances.

Vicky's character DS Swain will now become a permanent character in Weatherfield, rather than popping in and out for certain storylines.

Viewers were introduced to Swain in 2021 when she investigated the hate crime attacks against Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin.

She has subsequently appeared in other big plots, such as the Stephen Reid serial killer saga and Amy Barlow's ordeal with Aaron Sandford.

Next week, Swain starts work on another big case as the mysterious disappearance of Lauren Bolton sparks a major police investigation.

Announcing that she's now a regular, "We're only just scratching the surface with Swain. When I got the call that this was happening, it was very much that she was the itch that I needed to scratch.

"I want to know more about her. I did my homework initially a couple of years ago and I wanted to build this character that portrays and embodies everything about the North and about Weatherfield, almost in a matriarchal sense.

"Swain wants to continue going on in the career that she's chosen, but she's also a single working mum and there's the stresses and pressures that creates.

"Relationship-wise, we know she has a teenage daughter. I'm not entirely sure if everybody knows this, but Swain is gay. I think she perhaps has seen somebody that's caught her eye but at the moment she's far too busy with focusing on this investigation, her career, being a single mum and juggling her home life as well with her teenage daughter.

"If anybody out there has got teenage daughters they can quite well understand what I'm saying with that. Obviously to portray that with authenticity, to be creatively challenged by that, is brilliant and I'm very thankful to be given this opportunity."

Reflecting on how her role has grown over the years, Vicky continued: "I was initially contracted to do eight episodes, so I didn't expect this to happen at all and it's really quite something.

"Obviously you hope it could happen, but my job at that time was to make sure that I got to the truth of this woman, portray that and do it as authentically as I possibly could.

"Because I think if you run away with yourself beyond that, then you lose sight of what's right in front of you. So I was very focused on that and then hoped that [more could happen] once I'd done my best and created this powerhouse of a woman and really did my prep with it.

"I wondered: 'Who is she? Why is she there? Why, at that age, is she still a detective sergeant? What is it about this woman that makes her tick?'

"Then from there it's progressed in such a wonderful way. But this was never expected at all."

Swain is known for not getting emotionally invested in the lives of the Street's residents, but Vicky reflected on whether this could change now that she's a show regular.

Vicky said: "That's interesting. I think she's quite guarded, which is another thing that will be interesting to delve into if we get the opportunity – why is she that way?

"I can't really see her making friends easily because of her job and the fact that she's also a single working mum, so her time is taken up.

"I can't really see her going into The Rovers because can you imagine the backlash from the characters in The Rovers if Swain randomly walked in like, 'Yeah, I'll have a gin and tonic,' or a pint or whatever? I don't think she’d be welcomed with open arms.

"But who knows? Anything can happen and that's the beauty of being in this place – just be open to anything, really."

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.