ITV’s top-rated soap Coronation Street is heading for an explosive new era, with show producer Kate Brooks promising a return to a community feel, a major new clan taking over the Rovers, a never-before-done episode format, and a stunt-packed crossover with Emmerdale.
The iconic pub will get an injection of energy as Catherine Tyldesley reprises her role as Eva the diva, flanked by a new boyfriend and a monster-in-law, played by none other than Father Ted star Pauline McGlynn – expect fireworks between those two!
Meanwhile, the ongoing domestic abuse story between Todd and Theo will see a harrowing standalone episode, which further explores just how monstrous the gaslighting villain can be, with Kate warning that we have not seen the worst of him yet.
It’s a similar vibe for newcomer Becky, who will be unmasked as another soap villain as she pledges to destroy fan favourite Carla. ‘You will be shocked by what she is capable of,’ warns Kate, meaning Swarla fans are in for a bumpy ride.
Kate also gave an insight into what we can expect for Christmas. As well as a focus on the Driscoll family as they settle into the community, there are wedding bells on the horizon for Debbie and Ronnie. And, with Debbie suffering from dementia, Kate has offered a promise – we will have the iconic character until 2027, and she will very much not lose her personality for some time yet, which comes as a relief.
Of course, viewers are anticipating big things from the upcoming crossover with Emmerdale, which will contain a major stunt and the deaths of key characters. She promises a real treat for soap fans, which will go down in history – bold claims, but expect some massive twists that will impact both soaps in the months that follow.
And finally, sleazy Carl continues to hide the secrets of his affair with James and his involvement in Tyrone’s accident. But secrets don’t stay that way for long in soapland, and we could expect them to explode towards the end of the year. Dramatic stuff all round!
Let’s take a deeper look at what Kate dished up to Metro.
The Driscolls make their mark
I’ve seen the episode of their debut, and can I just say they breathe such energy into the Rovers that I am already obsessed with them! Kate Brooks sums it up well, insisting that the characters are ones to fall in love with.
‘The vibe and the energy and love that’s in that pub now, for me I’m like: “If I’m going to have a lock-in anywhere, it’ll be in The Rovers and I’ll be there until 5am at least!” she enthused. ‘Because there’s just so much warmth and joy and happiness in that room with all those people.
‘These guys love each other with a real fierceness and a real protectiveness. Obviously, there are niggles, issues, and dramas, as happens to every family, but at the heart of it, there’s a real loyalty to each other.’
Addressing what they will bring to the wider community, the producer continued: ‘The other thing we wanted to bring to it was that sense of community. Eva’s obviously got links to Toyah and Leanne in the Street, so that familiar face.
“And Eva’s such an amazing character who’s so, so, so Coronation Street. So to bring her back with family, and with a mother-in-law who is definitely going to ruffle many feathers, it felt like the time was right to bring that kind of dynamic and energy into the pub.
‘I don’t know about you, but I watched that episode and you just care about every single member of that family straight away. You fall in love with them and going forward you just continue to fall in love with them because they are just delightful.
‘And it’s really funny. ‘There’s some really funny stuff. They’re gifted actors, gifted comedic actors as well so there’s a real energy and buzz in the place.
‘There’s so much more to come with them. There’s so much drama. Really family-centric dramas. Friendships are formed, friendships are developed. And you’ve just got this family at the heart of the Street now, they just invite people in warmly into their space, into their pub.
‘The pub has never looked more lively and full of life. It’s great, they’re amazing, I love them. I am absolutely in love with the Driscolls.’
Nightmare for Todd
Culminating in a special standalone episode, Todd’s nightmare at the hands of Theo will intensify a great deal, sparking a long-term storyline of abuse that will see him trapped in his partner’s clutches.
Kate explained the situation, telling Metro: ‘It’s a really important story. By the time the story really gets going, Todd’s in a place where he really feels indebted to Theo because he has done a lot and given up a lot for him. At this point, Theo’s true colours really are revealed. He’s a dark character, he’s really going to manipulate Todd. He’s really good at gaslighting Todd.
‘We’re going to slowly see Todd start to strip bare who he is, and his vulnerabilities become very, very prominent in all the episodes, as he struggles to navigate this relationship with this man who he does love, but this man is abusive, he’s violent. He’s controlling.
‘He does some really, really vile things to Todd, but Todd’s seeing the goodness in him as well. He’s seeing the moments when they have fun, and the moments when he absolutely goes above and beyond to make Todd feel protected and loved. There’s a generosity there, and he’s charming to his family.
‘And Todd’s not really has a steady relationship before as well. So this is all new ground for him. So it was important to show the building blocks of why people find themselves in these situations.
‘And we’ve still got quite a bit of a journey to go on with these two. There’s some quite dark episodes, but very important episodes and very raw episodes
‘In an upcoming episode, I don’t think anyone’s ever told a story in this format in this way. I’ve just watched it, and been quite stunned by it.
‘It’s a hard watch. You know, we’re not rooting for Todd and Theo in any way, shape or form. This story will naturally progress and hopefully Todd will realise what is going on and that this is not acceptable.
‘We’re rooting for Todd. We’re rooting for Todd to see the light. As we take in George and Christina and Sarah, all these people who care about and love Todd, they are absolutely oblivious to what’s going on between the two behind closed doors.
‘And it’s going to be really interesting to watch what happens when people do get a peek inside at what happens behind closed doors.’
Swarla in crisis
It’s a partnership that has a huge following but they have had nothing but turmoil, it seems. That’s not going to change as not-so-dead Becky determines to get her claws into Becky and Betsy no matter what – while ensuring Carla is out of the picture. But it’s soon time for Carla to fight back!
‘I’m not going to pull any punches. Becky’s a bit of a villain,’ Kate warned us. ‘She wants Lisa back. She wants to oust Carla from this very happy home life that she’s created.
‘Slowly we’ll start to peel away the layers of Becky and who she is and what she’s actually capable of. At the minute on screen, we’ve only really scratched the surface, but she is capable of many things.
‘What I can say is that Carla and Lisa are a brilliant love story. They’re a brilliant soap couple. And I think the journey we’re going to go on with these two, as they navigate this woman who’s been literally dropped from a great height and landed like a bomb inside their house is huge.
‘How Carla, who is bolshy and feisty and doesn’t take any messing, how she struggles to comprehend that this woman is at her kitchen island drinking tea, and she’s having to restrain herself from doing anything crazy to oust this woman.’
She added: ‘There’s loads more to come. It’s a really exciting story. You don’t want to mess with Becky. There’s loads of twists, there’s loads of turns, there’s loads of moments where you watch it and go: “Oh my God”. But ultimately, it’s a really enjoyable ride and it’s really exciting.’
Wedding joy for Debbie
Offering assurances that Debbie isn’t going anywhere until 2027, Kate insisted that Debbie has a long journey ahead, and won’t lose her identity for a long time to come. Expect plenty of fun and joy amid the terrifying prospect of her dementia, basically! And part of that is a wedding to Ronnie!
Kate said: ‘We love Debbie. Debbie is brilliant and she’s so funny, and she’s so full of life and joy.
‘She’s making the most of it. She’s obviously planning for a big wedding with Ronnie, which will happen towards the end of the year.
‘Yeah, it’s going to be a really gorgeous, joyful wedding. It’s very Debbie in its execution. It smacks of Debbie being lovable and a bit out there.
‘This story is really in its infancy. And yes, there are some times when she will forget things but she’s living with it. You know, she’s still got a life. She’s not just a person who has dementia. So we are just enjoying Debbie being Debbie.
‘The other thing we have as well, which I think is so important to Coronation Street, is Debbie has this real strong group of female friends. We really start to develop and invest in that friendship. Glenda, Sally, Bernie, Christina, Debbie – this gang of women who are navigating life at the same time. They’re doing it with such humour and such loyalty to each other. Watching those friendships develop, there’s a lot of fun stuff coming up.
‘It’s so classic Corrie. The episodes I’m watching at the minute, it’s them on nights out, getting up to mischief. Just really earthy humour with these women. Debbie’s dementia is there, but she’s not in the grips of it. We’re not anywhere near end game.’
A community Christmas
It may seem early to chat about Christmas but in soap terms, filming is already underway and the episodes are not as far as we feel! December will be here before we know it!
So, with that in mind, Kate offered us a taster of what we can expect.
‘Christmas Day itself is a real family affair,’ she smiled. And the Driscolls are very much at the heart of Christmas Day. It’s a proper pub Christmas Day. It’s very community-based, very lively. There’s loads going on. Secrets are exposed and whatnot. So it’s a real feel-good episode with a lot of drama as well thrown to the mix.
‘The stories we’ve got going which build to that, we’ve got Ronnie and Debbie, who are very keen to crack on with the wedding and lots of preparation for that, fun and games in terms of that.”
‘The other stories, which are really kicking off around about that time, we’ve got Carla/Lisa/Becky. That really goes up a gear around about Christmas time. There’s a few really big twists that will keep people hooked and keep people watching as they watch this all unfold. So that’s another big story, which will feature heavily around the Christmas period.
‘We wanted to really show Todd and Theo’s journey in the lead and the build to Christmas. We’ve got a really special episode, which is just focused primarily on their relationship. But it’s told in a completely different, unique, never-been-done-before, way, which will really pack a punch on many levels.
‘And, yeah, they’re the big ones. Obviously, the Websters. Abi, Carl and James, that’s all still happening, too…’
Spectacular crossover
After Christmas, the pace doesn’t slow down at all. Fast forward to January and the introduction of the new ITV soap schedule, which kicks off with that anticipated crossover with Emmerdale.
While holding specific secrets close to her chest, Kate shared: ‘Filming’s going brilliant. The actors are loving it, because it’s so different and unique from what they’ve ever done before.
‘It’s just dead exciting. As a soap fan, the idea of sitting down watching your two favourite shows with all your favourite characters interact in this massive, unmissable piece of telly, it’s just amazing.
‘Even if I didn’t work in soap I’d be so excited for this because it’s just a soap fan’s dream. I think what we’ve done really well is make sure that the episode encapsulates what makes both shows unique, but also that universal appeal that soap is brilliant telly and it’s soaptastic.
‘It’s been quite a feat logistically to get everything in the right place. So I just think, as a testament to how hard and how passionate all the people are behind the scenes, everyone has put their heart and soul into it.’
