Trauma, loss and deadly danger: Coronation Street reveals 9 huge summer spoilers

With the weather warming up in the UK for the summer, that can only mean one thing: The drama on the cobbles of Coronation Street is set to hot up too!

It’s already been a busy year for the residents of Weatherfield, particularly with the disappearance of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) several months ago.

Though her killer has now been confirmed as sinister solicitor Joel Deering (Calum Lill), the residents the eponymous street are still none the wiser – which is inevitably set to put characters in danger in the coming weeks.

Will DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) get to the bottom of it before anyone else gets hurt?

Elsewhere, we have seen Abi Webster (Sally Carman) targeted in a deepfake porn scandal, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) drawn in by a terrifying cult, and Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) finding one son while facing the inevitability of losing another.

Thankfully, it’s not all tears, as recent scenes have teased the potential for a budding new romance… Or have they?

With so much to unpack, let’s get to it, and see what’s ahead for the women of Coronation Street this summer!

Abi’s deep fake agony

Abi has had a really tough time of it in recent weeks, having been targeted in what she originally believed to be revenge porn.

However, she later realised that the videos were deepfakes, meaning that they weren’t actually of her at all.

Even so, the videos cause carnage in Abi’s life in the coming weeks, and she is left devastated when the twins’ adopted mum cancels their visit to see her as a result.

With everything looking bleak, actress Sally Carman teased that Abi may be set to resort to some of her ‘old behaviours’ as she struggles to cope.

‘I think there will be some moments where she goes into auto pilot and old behaviours resurface. We’ll have to see what happens in regards to her going right back.

‘In these moments where she feels she’s going to lose everything that’s where she comes out fighting because they’re such big things for her to face losing now that anyone would react in a way that isn’t maybe an obvious reaction for them.

‘But for someone that’s already very reactionary then yes she’s definitely going to pull on some old behaviours.’

Unfortunately, these events could also put a strain on her relationship with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell), as Sally added.

‘How she reacts to things could press some buttons in Kevin, but equally his reactions to what happens to her could press some buttons in her. Whatever her past she has to feel that he trusts her, so it will be six of one and half a dozen of the other I think.’

Carla Connor and DS Lisa Swain – To be or not to be?

It’s an unlikely pairing, we’ll admit, but one we are keen to get behind.

Unfortunately, despite their recent heart-to-hearts and flirty banter, it appears that this romance might be brought to an end before it’s even really started, with Carla Connor actress Alison King admitting that her character isn’t set for a relationship just yet.

‘I don’t think she’s ready for another relationship at all and she’s definitely not got her eye on anybody. I don’t think she’s thought twice about it. I think it’s the last thing on her mind.’

Well, that’s disappointing.

We can hardly blame Carla though, as her focus moving forward has to be on repairing her relationship with Roy Cropper (David Neilson).

The pair fell out when Roy discovered that she hadn’t tried very hard to dissuade nephew Bobby Crawford (Jack Carroll) from giving a false statement to police in a bid to free the cafe owner from prison.

‘She was extremely worried about his vulnerability in prison, being a person that is a little bit different. She supports that all the time in the real world but she’s very aware of what that might mean for him in prison, particularly with what he’s accused of.

‘Roy’s been a constant in her life since she first bonded with Hayley in those early days, so it’s probably been about 16 years now that Roy’s been a father figure to her. Their relationship has grown on trust and honesty, and I think the fact that she’s broken that honesty, even though it is to protect somebody, he can’t quite see past that and she has to hold her hands up.

‘Although she says to him, I did it to protect Bobby, she knows she’s been telling Bobby he should go to the police but she hasn’t gone through with forcing that either. There’s a typical Carla conflict of interests here.’

Will they be able to get back to how things once were?

The end for Maria and Gary?

Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) has faced agony that no mother should have to in the past few months, with son Liam Connor (Charlie Wrenshall) having suffered with suicidal thoughts as a result of horrific bullying.

Terrified of losing him, Maria set up cameras to keep an eye on him, but found something else concerning in the process: Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) getting awfully close while Liam was recovering from an accidental overdose.

Following the incident, Maria agreed to give things another go, but will their relationship last?

‘I think they have built a really good, strong relationship over the last few years so I think if they get through this they will come out stronger than ever but it’s whether they’ll be able to get through it or not,’ actress Samia teased.

Cult chaos continues for Leanne and Nick

Leanne Battersby being drawn into a cult wasn’t on our bingo card for 2024, but it has certainly given us a lot of drama.

While Leanne is completely bowled over by The Institute and charming leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper), the same can’t be said for partner Nick Tilsley (Ben Price).

With the couple on such different pages regarding The Institute, actress Jane Danson teases that it could be set to tear them apart.

‘I think Leanne is pushing people away without actually realising she’s doing it and is being very self absorbed. I don’t think Leanne see’s the bigger picture of everything because certain behaviours are making her distance herself – which is the total opposite of what she’s actually trying to achieve.

‘Leanne’s new mindset is all about being positive and manifesting but what she’s doing is totally alienating herself leaving everyone thinking that she’s going crackers!’

In upcoming scenes, Leanne is caught telling someone on her laptop screen that she loves them, though she denies that it is Rowan. Is she telling the truth?

‘What’s really interesting playing this storyline out is that there are some things that happen that actually make you understand why Leanne is getting sucked into this,’ Jane added.

‘The Institute is all about positivity, bringing good energy and just being a good person but I think she’s taken it all a little bit too far.

‘Usually Leanne is a strong character who wouldn’t typically make these types of decisions, but for whatever part of her life, she’s decided to go against time and behave differently which is of course going to give Toyah and Nick a cause for concern and start pushing them away.’

Toyah’s close connection

Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) is also caught up in Leanne’s cult ordeal, having had suspicions about The Institute from the outset.

Away from this, we’ve also seen Toyah develop quite a strong connection to Nick, who was on hand to support her when she first revealed she gave birth to a stillborn baby girl in the early 2000s.

Discussing the difficulty between Toyah and Leanne, Georgia reflected: ‘I think it’s really difficult because Leanne’s always been her biggest ally and her biggest support.

‘They’ve seen each other through so many difficult times, so many relationships and however many times they’ve been married or divorced or cheated on what’s remained consistent is their sisterly bond. So I think Toyah is really struggling not having that as she navigates her way through her own trauma.’

Reflecting on whether Toyah and Nick could bring Rowan down together, Georgia added: ‘I think so, they’ve found something in common here. What they have in common is that they both love Leanne, they’re seeing a change in her and they feel like they’re losing her.

‘That’s inadvertently pushing Toyah and Nick together to take Rowan on. I also think how emotionally available Nick was for Toyah when he found out about Rose, perhaps shifted how she views him a little bit and made her look at him in a different way.’

With Leanne pushing them both away, could Toyah and Nick be set to grow even closer?

In upcoming scenes, Toyah is arrested for murder after police find the body of her baby in the park – but will it be Leanne or Nick that she leans on for support?

Bethany’s determination to see justice served brings danger

Ever since abuser Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper) crawled out of the woodwork at Lauren’s reconstruction, Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) has been determined to prove that he was behind her disappearance.

While viewers know that the actual culprit was Joel, Bethany is adamant that it was down to Nathan, and actress Lucy Fallon confirmed that Bethany will go out of her way to prove it.

‘She does still fear what he’s capable of but she’s definitely still going to go after him herself. Bethany is so convinced that Nathan is guilty so she’s really determined to make sure he will go back to prison because that’s where she believes he belongs.

‘Bethany also knows Nathan well, and when she hears he has an alibi for the night of Lauren’s disappearance, she doesn’t believe him because he is a talented liar, which she of course knows through experience.

‘Bethany takes it upon herself to confront Nathan and try to find out what he’s done to Lauren and where she is, which was very bold of her. I like this side of Bethany because she’s trying to claim her power back.’

Unfortunately, with Bethany digging around in Lauren’s murder case, it makes her the prime candidate to be Joel’s next target, and when she seeks out legal advice from him in the coming days she has no idea how much danger she could be in…

Sarah’s revenge

Unlucky in love Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) has had her fair share of drama this year in Weatherfield. Away from supporting Bethany when Nathan returned, Sarah was most recently seen reconnecting with ex-partner Gary.

Reflecting on this, Tina told us: ‘She’s got this odd connection with Gary, they always had this ability to tell each other things that they wouldn’t tell other people. I think because he saw her at her worst I think they do tend to gravitate back to that depth of emotion. He shouldn’t be telling her how things have been with Maria but he did, despite knowing it’s probably not the right thing to do.

‘Did they think they were getting up to anything, probably not, but were they breaking a certain code, yes. They’re the conversations you’re meant to have with your partner but they seem to be able to have them so much easier with each other.

‘There’s definitely still a bond there, especially with Nathan back on the scene. Gary was there when Bethany went through that the first time, he knew exactly how horrific it was and rightly or wrongly I think he’s doing what he can trying to help get Nathan out of the picture.’

Speaking of getting Nathan out of the picture, Sarah has already risked a lot by planting Lauren’s hair in Nathan’s van in order to pin her murder on him – though Tina reveals that she is prepared to go even further to ensure that he never gets out of prison again.

‘I think she’d pretty much do anything’ she teased. ‘She’s already broken the law by trying to pay him to leave so she’s crossed that line and I think she’ll do whatever it takes. She’s got another plan forming in her head and she’s clearly not thinking straight but she’s just trying to put her daughter first.’

The pressure is on for Dee-Dee

It’s been quite the few weeks for Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown). Following Roy’s arrest, Dee-Dee was appointed as his representation in court, giving her the challenging task of finding enough evidence to prove he didn’t murder Lauren Bolton.

Though Roy has since been proved innocent, Dee-Dee’s work isn’t over, as she is still eager to see Lauren get the justice she deserves.

‘I think Dee-Dee is really starting to buckle under the pressure. She’s been trying really hard to hold it all together but ultimately I think the pressure of the street and the pressure she has on herself is taking a toll on her.

‘Roy isn’t just a client to Dee-Dee, she really values him as a person so I definitely think she’s starting to feel the immense pressure of it all and we can really see the strain that it’s putting on her.’

Away from Roy, Dee-Dee has also developed a strong connection with partner Joel, who we know was actually responsible for killing Lauren. Right now, Dee-Dee is oblivious to Joel’s dark side. To her, Joel is a kind and understanding gentleman, and she couldn’t be more happy with him.

‘I definitely think she is head over heels for him. They have been through a lot in such a short space of time and in terms of agreeing to move forward, she is definitely someone who believes in forgiveness and now that she’s made that decision for them, she is really excited about the future.

‘In and amongst all of the chaos of life, he’s almost like her life raft in it and is the one who is keeping her ticking over by making sure she’s fed and afloat. The relationship is definitely proving invaluable to Dee-Dee.’

With Joel hiding such a dark secret, could Dee-Dee be in danger herself, or will she work out what he’s really been up to before it’s too late?

Bernie’s sons cause heartbreak

Bernie Winter’s world came crashing down when she discovered that son Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) had motor neurone disease, and it has left her feeling ‘helpless’, as actress Jane Hazlgrove revealed.

Not only that, but she has recently found the son she gave up for adoption, though tragically Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) isn’t as keen for their reconciliation as she had hoped.

‘I believe Bernie would love to begin building a relationship with Kit and try to fix all of her wrongs. Unfortunately Bernie has to accept that he’s furious with her, and with good reason, so she must realise that a reconciliation might not be what he wants,’ Jane explained.

‘She has always imagined what he would be like but I think she perhaps realises that he’s not as decent as she had hoped he would be so she also now needs to face the reality of what and who he is rather than the imagined son she’s always kept in her head and heart for all of these years.’

Bernie is now left to juggle her reconciliation with Kit with her final days with Paul – something which she worries will affect her existing relationship with him and Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell).

‘Bernie definitely realises that this is now a possibility which isn’t ideal given the horrible circumstances with Paul’s illness and the timing is of course not great.

‘Bernie knows she’s got to play the hand she’s now been dealt with the best she can and try to make amends. She also doesn’t want to hurt the kids anymore than they already have been!’

Will Bernie find a way to work through the next few challenging months?