Coronation Street's Daisy Midgeley with an opinion logo next to her (Credit: ITV/Comp ED!)
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OPINION: What are Coronation Street doing to Daisy? From victim to mean girl it’s the character change NO ONE wanted

Daisy was the star of Corrie just one year ago

This time last year Daisy Midgeley took centre stage in Coronation Street after an acid attack changed her life. Now, she’s back at the heart of the action, but this time for all the wrong reasons.

What exactly are Coronation Street doing to Daisy’s character? From victim to Mean Girl, this isn’t a change we wanted – or like.

Coronation Street promo image of Daisy Midgeley outside the Rovers
Daisy was a confusing character when she first arrived (Credit: ITV)

Who Daisy was in Coronation Street

When Daisy first came into Coronation Street it was unclear who she was. Was she a money-grabbing schemer with no heart or was she a messed-up young woman from a broken background who really just wanted to be loved? To be honest, it felt like Corrie also didn’t know who she was so they made her a confusing character until they decided.

However, although she heartlessly split up Ryan Connor and Alya Nazir and then swiftly moved on to Daniel Osbourne when she heard he’d inherited a house, it was through Daniel we finally began to see Daisy.

Their relationship may have started off a scam on her part, but they quickly, genuinely, fell in love. Through them we saw her caring side, her become a mum to Bertie and her own mother-daughter relationship with Jenny blossom.

Daisy and Daniel were ticking along pretty nicely and even began planning a wedding. We believed in them, we wanted them to succeed, in short, they were a good match.

We even started to understand why Daisy was who she was when she first arrived after we met flighty mum,Christina and the girls who used to bully her at school. Daisy made sense.

Daisy was put through hell by Justin (Credit: ITV)

Acid attack story

When Justin Rutherford came along things took a dark turn for Daisy. He started stalking her and became obsessed with her. Desperate to make sure no one else would ever want her, Justin threw acid in her face on her wedding day. It was a year ago this week that everything changed for Daisy.

Ryan jumped in front of Daisy and took the full brunt of the acid on his face and arm. Daisy had a small burn on her chest.

In those heartbreaking scenes, Daisy was the victim. She took back control, making sure Justin was caught and helping to send him to prison. All-the-while her guilt was eating away at her over what Ryan was going through. She grew closer to him, feelings became involved and she cheated on Daniel.

All of this was understandable, there was a clear path to this juncture. It’s even clear where the character change at Christmas came from. Daisy had lost Daniel to Bethany, Ryan had moved away with Crystal and Daisy had no real purpose. It was reasonable when the opportunity to take Stephen’s money and get herself back on top presented itself, she would have taken it. I have lost everything so therefore I will take something back and I don’t care who I hurt in the process.

However, it’s what has happened since then, particularly in the recent weeks that is baffling. Daisy has gone from being the victim in such a heartbreaking and beautifully played storyline to the Mean Girl of the cobbles. Once again, we don’t know who Daisy is any more.

Can Daisy come back from this character change? (Credit: ITV)

Daisy in Coronation Street now

The reckless spending, the rowing with Jenny and them turning against each other is all ridiculous. Why do two women constantly have to be pitted against each other? Jenny and Daisy’s relationship has always been tricky, but they have always, always had each other’s backs. But not any more.

Daisy’s attitude towards Jenny has been bratty and non-caring. The fact she said she had no intention of paying Carla back the £250k they stole didn’t ring true. And the ‘give-a-stuff’ reaction she had to Carla finding out felt totally off.

And let’s not even get started on the feud with Bethany. It has come from nowhere – is Bethany supposed to be defending Daniel’s honour? Why has she got involved at all? To make Daisy seem even more of a nasty person?

Corrie had developed Daisy into such a well-rounded character. So why have we gone back to this?

This Daisy was nicer! (Credit: ITV)

Make a change now, Corrie

Daisy and Jenny shouldn’t be against each other, they should be on each other’s side. Yes, we know Daisy has always had it in her to be mean and selfish, but to this extent after everything she has been through, after becoming so likeable, why change her back?

This time last year Daisy was the star of Coronation Street. The acid attack storyline was so well done and we felt for Daisy because we cared. It makes no sense that now she has become someone we don’t like or care about.

Soaps have a history of making their victims the villain – especially when they are women. Just look at what Emmerdale did to Lydia after her rape.

Let women support women. Let women like women. And let Daisy be the version of herself she was just a few months ago.

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Read more: Who’s leaving Coronation Street in 2024?

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Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.

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Carena Crawford
Associate Editor (Soaps)