The drama is only just beginning in Weatherfield and we know have a preview of what’s to come in the ITV soap this year
Debbie Webster in Coronation Street(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street has already kicked off 2026 in dramatic style with the linking of two soap universes in the Emmerdale crossover, Corriedale.
Those who tuned into the special episode on Monday (January 5) night saw a number of twists and turns unfold as a catastrophic multi-vehicle pile-up featured a number of loved – and detested – characters from both sides of the Pennines in danger.
But it’s fair to say that the events that unfolded during the dark and stormy night near Hotten was just the start of what’s set to unfold back in Weatherfield this year.
It’s been revealed that a special “flashforward” episode will feature in the coming weeks, while one beloved couple will enjoy a “romantic spring”, as another will simply be trying to keep going as their abuse intensifies.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, producer Kate Brooks teased a number of storylines that are set to keep the Street’s residents busy in the coming weeks and months.
Theo’s abuse of Todd
“So obviously Corridale was massive for these characters and Theo sunk to a whole new level of low when he allowed Billy [Mayhew] to die,” Kate said. “So going forward, it’s a very complicated place that Todd finds himself in. He was ready to kind of leave albeit he was very terrified and he confided in Billy.
Theo’s abuse towards Todd continues(Image: ITV)
“At this point, he still didn’t fully realise the extent of his abuse. So he’s very wrapped up in his grief post-Billy’s death. As we kind of go forward into 2026, Todd’s all over the shop. He doesn’t feel like he’s got the strength to kind of go through with leaving Theo. He’s feeling really worthless, he’s feeling like if he had not spoken to Billy on that night about what happened, then maybe Billy could have still been alive, and that’s what kind of Theo homes in on, the fact that Todd is still quite vulnerable and is still prone to needing someone to kind of lift him up.
“So what we’ll see is we’ll see Theo, who’s obviously ravaged by his own guilt, yes, he did something absolutely despicable, but… He felt and he justifies it as being absolutely necessary to keep hold of Todd because he does in his own very warped, very unhinged and tarnished way believes that deep down he does love Todd, so he does everything he can to try and kind of be an absolute pillar of support for Todd, for Summer [Spellman], for George [Shuttleworth]… He’s an absolute rock and part of this is about masking his own guilt about what he feels about kind of his part in Billy’s death.
“Also, he knows how close he came to losing Todd, so he’s willing to do everything he can to kind of make sure that he doesn’t lose Todd again. So we’ll see kind of Theo becoming more manipulative, we’ll see him and starting to kind of draw and pull Todd back into his fold as Todd needs him – he needs that support, he feels like he needs somebody to kind to keep him afloat. And Theo is that person. Not only is he an absolute lifeline for Todd, but he proves to be an absolute lifeline for Sumer and George as well and obviously we know what Theo’s like, we know what he’s capable of, we know the hell that he’s been putting Todd through, but we also know that Todd is extremely vulnerable and he’s exposed at this point, so we will see that relationship continue.”
Kate added: “We continue to tell the story about this domestic abuse and we continue to tell it quite truthfully and as realistically. It’s a hard watch at times, I’m not gonna lie, you know, as was proven by the ‘Behind Closed Doors’ episode but it’s an important story to tell and I think both actors are absolutely smashing it up the park in terms of the nuance they bring into these roles and then making the story unmissable and captivating and hard to look away from. So yes, we’ll be continuing with Todd and Theo going forward but obviously, we can’t sustain this forever, and certainly Todd will start to realise that maybe all is not what it seems, as will other people around Todd.”
A loved-up Swarla
Lisa and Carla will be getting back on track(Image: ITV)
For fans who have been keen to see Lisa Swain and Carla Connor back on an even keel following the disastrous return of Lisa’s former partner, Becky Swain, there is good news.
Kate told us: “Becky was an absolute obstacle thrown their way and kind of now they’ve dealt with Becky and her true colours have absolutely been revealed for all to see, and Lisa’s finally kind of realised the extent of the manipulation and the lies that Becky’s told, we’ll see them start to make their way back to each other.
“Obviously, there’s a lot to get past but they love each other and that love never faltered throughout it all. I think the love remained strong, it was the circumstances that kind of got in the way and now that the ghost of Becky is finally being put to bed they can move forward with their lives and they can look forward to their future together.
“They were engaged, so wedding bells are certainly ringing in the not-too-distant future. And they will get their happy ever after, you know, they will get the chance to kind of finally be free from Becky and be free, from kind of the drama that surrounded that story and be happy with and content with each other. So yeah, it’s going to be a romantic spring I think for Carla and Lisa which will make many people smile, I imagine.”
Jodie exposes Shona’s past
Shona’s sister, Jodie, will unravel her past(Image: ITV)
Corrie fans have recently been introduced to Jodie following her first appearance in Corriedale, having been seen tied up in the back of a van. She’s since revealed herself to be Shona Platt’s sister and in upcoming scenes, Shona will be forced to face her past.
Kate explained: “We’ve mentioned on the show previously that Shona has had a younger sister, so we felt the time was right to kind of bring that sister into the mix and explore and unpack a bit of Shona’s backstory and that’s where Jodie comes into the picture.”
With little known about the character so far, the producer continued: “She’s a complicated character and she comes with a lot of baggage, shall we say, and their relationship as sisters is quite fraught. You know, they’ve got a lot history between them, there’s some kind of deep-seated resentment there as well, but they love each other.
“They do have that bond, and even though they’ve been strangers for a number of years, that bond is still very strong and the tie that binds them. But Jodie is a really interesting character. She’s a bit of a troublemaker, she’s got a bit of mischief in her eyes and all is not what it seems with Jodie – there’s a lot of layers to her.”
She teased: “The audience, I think, are going to have a lot of fun kind of unpeeling her, so to speak. Basically unravelling who this person is, who Jodie is as a character and what she wants as well. So keep an eye on her because there’s lots of secrets to explode and she is going to come and bring an awful lot of drama to the Platts household because whilst they’ve got Jodie to contend with, they’ve also got beby Harper to look after as well, so they are being pulled from Pillar to Post and Jodie comes in as a sort of lifesaver really and makes herself invaluable to that family unit, but, you know, she may have ulterior motives.”
Debbie faces jail time
Debbie faces blame for Carl’s crime(Image: ITV)
“We’ve not fully explored the impact of [Debbie’s] dementia and how that takes its toll on her as a character,” Kate shared. “So we’re still kind of in the early stages, and we’ve still got a long way to go, but the drama that unfolded during Corridale has kind of put Debbie in a really precarious situation.”
Those who tuned into the one-off episode will have seen Carl drink-driving after Debbie’s wedding, leaving the venue with her in the passenger seat. But after the crash, Carl cruelly dragged his sister into the driver’s seat and has since tried to make her believe she was the one driving in the first place.
“She’s determined to take the rap for Carl…” Kate admitted. “She’s confused at this point, she doesn’t know really what happened and we assume that she is, you know, she genuinely doesn’t that Carl has kind of interfered and swapped places with her at this point. So she’s really struggling with that and she’s like, ‘No, I’m going to face the punishment, I’m gonna do what I can do and I’m kind of hold my hand up and say I’m responsible for this’.
“So obviously the nature of the crime and the seriousness of it, you know that could lend itself to a prison sentence. So she’s facing that massive kind of threat that’s kind of hanging over her as she’s trying to also get around the fact that you know a wedding day was you know all these kind of secrets are exposed you know her family have fallen apart, Carl and Kevin are kind of have never been so splintered as they are kind in the aftermath of the wedding and she’s she’s there trying to kind of get through day by day and protect them all and protect all her family.
“She’s gonna need her mates more than ever. She’s going to need her gal pals, her Glenda’s and Christina’s and Bernie and Sally to kind of really rally and get through these darker moments as she kind of braces herself for a future that is looking quite uncertain at the moment because, obviously, getting sent to prison is a terrible thing.
“Getting sent to prison if you’ve got early onset dementia must be a terrifying prospect so she’s struggling and all these emotions. But, even though there’s drama aplenty and there are loads going on, and there are lots of secrets as well that kind of explode, and we explore with that family.”
The Driscolls and Maggie’s secret
Maggie has already ruffled feathers(Image: ITV)
Speaking of the Driscolls, following their arrival back in October, Kate said: “They’re such a fantastic family and such a great dynamic in that pub. I just adore them. But yes, there is loads to come for this family. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.”
Teasing what’s ahead, she continued: “The ongoing story of Will and Megan is huge for them. We also know what Maggie is capable of now, especially when it comes to protecting her lads. She’s got this fierce loyalty and need to protect her kids and grandkids at all costs. So we know that when eventually this awful, awful secret is exposed, that it’s not gonna go down well with Maggie.
“Similarly, there are other secrets as well that Maggie’s been hiding… There was a very small beat that some eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted whereby we saw Maggie at Number One [Coronation Street] and she looks into the cabinet and her reaction kind of suggested that she saw something that made her feel slightly on edge and uncomfortable.
“We will reveal what that secret is in the upcoming kind of months. But it is just the tip of the iceberg, and we will follow the Will and Megan element quite closely. It’s a very important story to tell and you know we want to be as truthful as possible but as part of that story and Sam [Blakeman] will end up getting embroiled in it all. Sam is obviously sort of semi-related to to the Puff family and he potentially gets wind that something’s amiss and we will see the lengths that Megan will go to to manipulate Sam into keeping him quiet and it will be massively detrimental to Sam’s wellbeing.”
‘Who is it?’ flashforward
A special “flashforward” episode will offer viewers a glimpse into some of drama that is set to unfold in 2026. The one-off episode, which will air in February, will see an unknown character dead on the street before revealing the five potential victims it could be, in what has been described as a complicated and intricate storyline.
Kate said: “This is something that’s been in the making for a really long time. There are five potential victims, and we will take the audience on a journey to try and figure out who that body is and what happened. It is a who have they done it to, not a whodunit.”
She said the special episode will give the stories currently running a destination point, and added: “I don’t think I’ve ever told a story that involves quite as many character groups. Everyone’s impacted – everyone’s affected by this story. There’s so many twists and so many turns.”
It was revealed that the flashforward includes a character being interviewed by police, after finding the dead body of an unseen individual on the street. Kate added: “We understand what’s happened, we understand the context of what’s happened, but we don’t know who it’s happened to.”