When Megan first showed up on Coronation Street, viewers quickly realised she was not just another new face on the cobbles. But behind that chilling performance is a far more emotional story, as Beth Nixon has now revealed how she almost played a completely different major character and came close to quitting acting before finally landing her breakthrough role as Megan.
Beth Nixon Nearly Became A Very Different Corrie Character
Beth Nixon, who joined Coronation Street late last year, has admitted that Megan was not the first Corrie role she went after. Before she ever stepped into Weatherfield as Will Driscoll’s athletic coach, she had already auditioned for the soap twice. Both auditions were for villain roles, including the part of Lauren, which later went to Cait Fitton, who made her debut in 2022 and has remained on the show ever since.
Even though she missed out on those earlier parts, the casting team kept her in mind. Beth eventually arrived on screen as Megan, who came into Will’s life when he moved from Hull to Weatherfield with his dad Ben, grandmother Maggie and Ben’s girlfriend Eva Price, who returned to the Street after seven years away. But that role only came after a long and emotionally draining wait for her big break.
The Audition That Finally Changed Everything
Beth revealed that earlier this year her agent sent her a new casting brief, this time for Megan. She was told the character was a paedophile, something she admitted was shocking but also made the role very powerful because the character had no redeeming qualities and could be pushed much further than most villains. She sent in a self-tape and was then invited to take part in a chemistry test with other actors.
That led to her being brought onto the Coronation Street set, where she filmed a scene at The Bistro. The experience made it clear that she was finally close to getting the role she had been chasing for years. At the time Beth received the news, she was not acting at all. She was working as a skin clinic manager when her agent rang. She explained that she went upstairs while a colleague covered the desk. And when she was told she had the part, she screamed so loudly everyone in the clinic could hear her.
It was her first TV role, four years after she had graduated. The moment meant even more because Beth admitted she had been very close to walking away from acting entirely. After auditions and missing out on roles like Lauren, she had started to think about taking a normal job. Getting Megan came just when she needed it most. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers.