Coronation Street’s Harriet Bibby says her character Summer Spellman believes Theo Silverton killed Billy Mayhew, and she tells Todd Grimshaw, leading to a showdown for him and Theo
08:00, 07 Apr 2026Updated 08:50, 07 Apr 2026
Coronation Street’s Harriet Bibby says her character Summer Spellman believes Theo Silverton killed Billy Mayhew(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street‘s Summer Spellman was won over by evil Theo Silverton following the death of her father figure Billy Mayhew.
But Summer has her eyes opened to his true colours next week, as she finally figures out Theo [James Cartwright] may have played a part in Billy’s demise in January. The beloved vicar, played by Daniel Brocklebank, was killed off in the shocking car pile-up during the Emmerdale crossover, called Corriedale.
Theo trapped Billy in a burning van shortly before it exploded, leaving him to die. While residents called Theo a hero in the fallout, Carl Webster soon learned the truth and next week, Summer finally realises what Theo is capable of.
Harriet Bibby, who has played the character since 2020, tells us that as Summer tries to get her head around Theo’s sickening abuse towards his partner Todd Grimshaw [ Gareth Pierce ], she makes a startling realisation about Billy’s death that leaves her concerned for Todd. Harriet says: “I do think that Summer believes Theo is capable of murder.
“Obviously recently she’s been grieving for Billy and so has been quite blinded by that grief and unable to see anything else that’s happening. I don’t think she’s seen it in him until this point, but I think when her suspicions do start to come out, it’s like that moment where the penny drops.
READ MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘work out’ Dr Todd’s link to Graham – and it’s bad news for KimREAD MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘solve’ who Graham’s working with to kill Kim – and it’s not a Tate
Alarm bells ring for Summer as she finally puts the pieces together, and it’s not long before she confides in Todd(Image: ITV)
“Suddenly everything makes sense. There’s been some odd moments that have been glazed over for whatever reason and now she’s seen it she can’t unsee it. She’s worried for Todd because he might be in a vulnerable position and really, he’s all Summer has left. If anything happens to him, I don’t know what she’d do.”
It comes about after a conversation with Abi Franklin, who hints it wasn’t Debbie Webster who caused the crash that killed Billy. When Carl hears about this, he tells Summer that if she wants to find out what really happened to Billy, she should look closer to home. Alarm bells ring for Summer as she finally puts the pieces together, and it’s not long before she confides in Todd with her theory.
It seems he believes her, as Todd finds the courage to confront his abuser Theo after months of coercive control, and physical and verbal abuse, sparking a showdown between the pair. Todd reports Theo to the police for assault, and Summer finds out exactly what her father figure Todd has been going through behind closed doors.
Todd stands up to Theo leading to a showdown(Image: ITV)
She tells us: “Seeing him vulnerable and seeing him hurt is really hard. I think seeing any parent in a vulnerable position is really tough. I think she feels heartbroken that this has happened and also maybe a little bit guilty that she’s not seen it and been able to protect him. I think she’s a bit disheartened at the world right now.”
In an impactful episode, fans will see Todd sharing his ordeal with detectives Lisa Swain and Kit Green, with Theo plotting his escape to evade justice. Harriet says it’s been difficult for her to play the storyline, with Summer not seeing the signs.
She explains: “It’s been frustrating. I like to think that Summer is quite an intelligent person and quite tuned in to other people’s emotions. But then equally, she’s been going through the most horrible period of her life, so you can’t blame her for not seeing it.
Theo left Billy to die(Image: ITV)
“Also Theo is a bit of a master manipulator as well, he controls the narrative and he manipulates situations to make it fit the narrative that he’s trying to put out and people buy into that. I’ve had people coming up to me constantly, almost since the story began. I went to the dentist and they were like, we need you to sort things out and I’m like, I’m trying my best.”
Harriet hopes the storyline will raise awareness of domestic abuse, as a special episode next week highlights that Todd’s situation sadly isn’t uncommon. She says: “Debbie Oates, who wrote it, did a fantastic job because it really does tune you into the reality of things like this, you think it’s few and far between but sadly it isn’t.
“We notice throughout the episode Todd isn’t alone in this, we use the colour purple throughout the episode (the colour of domestic violence survivors) to signify other people who may have been in an abusive relationship in the past but are maybe in a stronger position now, having come out the other side of it.”
Get the latest drama from the Dales by joining our Emmerdale WhatsApp group
As drama continues to unfold in the Yorkshire Dales, the Mirror has launched its very own Emmerdale WhatsApp community where you’ll get all the latest breaking news, secrets, and spoilers delivered straight to your phone.
Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group.
We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Discussing the future, Harriet says Todd and Summer’s bond will grow stronger as they lean on each other. She tells us: “I think Summer and Todd’s relationship has always been more like a sibling relationship than a father-daughter relationship, but when it boils down to it, he is always there for Summer and will always back her. He does through this storyline and she does for him as well.
“But I don’t think it’s as simple as a father-daughter relationship anymore. I think they both lean on each other when they need to and actually she can become almost maternal to him and then he’s very parental to her as well. It’s lovely to see that when they need each other they can step up and be that for each other.”
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.