As Tina continues her surrogacy for Izzy, it puts her relationship with Tommy under increasing strain. As the gossip about her pregnancy spreads, Michelle Keegan talks about Tina and Tommy's rocky relationship and if she'll back out of her baby deal. (Warning - contains plot spoilers!)
Question: How does Tina feel about being pregnant?
Answer: She’s not very well at the minute. I think morning sickness and pregnancy has hit her quite hard, I don’t think she expected it either.
Q: Is Tina aware how her pregnancy is affecting Tommy?
A: Yes, he is definitely getting annoyed with her and the whole process of the pregnancy is getting to him. I think he has had his nose pushed out and I think he feels like the outsider, it’s like Tina and the Windass’ and then Tommy.
Q: How does Tina feel as she goes for a scan and sees her baby for the first time?
A: I don’t think she has any maternal instincts towards the baby, I think she’s happy that it’s healthy. She sees how happy Gary and Izzy are seeing the scan and that makes her happy too.
Q: What happens when Tina faints on the street?
A: Tina faints but is still quite laid back about things, Tommy is obviously in a panic, he doesn’t want Tina to be pregnant anymore because it is effecting her health.
Q: They call Dr Matt – is it anything serious?
A: He's Tina’s ex, so its not awkward at all! They find out Tina is anaemic, and her blood levels are low, something a lot of people suffer with when pregnant, but now this is effecting her health Tommy is getting concerned.
Q: How does Tina feel when he congratulates her and Tommy on the pregnancy?
A: When he congratulates them Tina just turns round and says: "I might as well tell you it’s not our baby it’s Gary and Izzy’s and I’m surrogate." He obviously doesn’t know what to say about that and the cats out of the bag. She does ask him not to say anything to anyone as she doesn’t want it to go any further.
Q: Norris then reveals the pregnancy – how does Tina feel about the secret coming out?
A: She doesn’t want anyone knowing yet at all especially because Tommy still isn’t on her side. She doesn’t want Norris to know because she knows he’s the gossip of the street and as soon as Norris knows everyone is going to know, which she’s not very happy about.
Q: Tommy's mortified as everyone congratulates him, thinking he is the dad – does Tina understand how difficult this is for Tommy?
A: Yes, I think she does but she’s doing this for Tommy, that’s how she sees it, ‘I’m doing this for him and our relationship.’ And not only is she doing it for that she’s doing it for Gary and Izzy as well so it’s like a selfless act, she’s not getting anything out of it. She feels she is taking the weight of Tommy with the debt and she is also making Gary and Izzy happy at the same time.
Q: How would she feel if she knew David was telling Tommy that she had an abortion while she was with him?
A: I don’t think she would be impressed that David told Tommy about the abortion, obviously it’s very private, and Tommy doesn’t really know anything about it. It’s also quite a touchy subject for Tina because she was going through that alone until Gail turned up. It was years ago, she was a lot younger then and wasn’t ready to be a mum. I do think she regrets that decision so I think with this baby she doesn’t even contemplate having an abortion. Now that David has told Tommy about it I think he thinks it’s an option, and Tina’s very upset about it.
Q: How does Tina react when Tommy wants her to have an abortion?
A: She is very upset about it; she feels that he doesn’t understand her intentions and why she is doing it. I think he probably thinks what she went through years ago was a problem that got solved, were with her it was quite an emotional thing to happen.
Q: Tina confesses to Izzy that Tommy wants her to back out – how does Izzy react?
A: She didn’t know how Izzy was going to react, she thought she might be very disappointed and make Tina do it, sort of emotionally blackmail her, but she didn’t. Izzy is very understanding and she sees it from Tina’s point of view which clarified to Tina that she definitely wants to do it for her.
Q: How does she feel when Tommy packs his bags and leaves?
A: I think she’s hurt, very hurt when Tommy goes. Obviously she didn’t want to go through this on her own and she says that the reason she is doing it is for Tommy anyway, that was the initial reason why she was doing it. She doesn’t want to be on her own but she has to now I suppose so I think she is very frightened as well.
Q: Does Tina believe it is really over between her and Tommy or is she still hoping he will come back to her?
A: She wants Tommy to come back to her definitely. She loves Tommy and always has done. I don’t think she would be doing this if it wasn’t for him.
Q: How does Tina feel about facing the next few months pregnant and alone?
A: She knows its going to be an up hill climb, she hasn’t got any family around her and she’s only a 21 year old girl. It’s not something she is ready for I don’t think.
Q: What sort of reaction have you had from viewers regarding the storyline?
A: It’s been a positive reaction, I didn’t know how it was going to play out but I think the public have really taken to the whole thing.
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