Corrie 2023 preview: Carla death horror, Fiz exit, big teen twist

The drama that comes with the festive period in Coronation Street is firmly behind us which means only one thing – a new year.

As you tuck into *more* cheese (seriously, why does everyone always buy so much?!) it’s time to start looking at the start of an absolute cracker of a year on the cobbles.

We ended 2022 with Stephen (Todd Boyce) under the impression Teddy (Grant Burgin) wouldn’t recover after being hit by a van.

However, he was put back in his place when Teddy woke up, claiming to remember what happened.

Elsewhere, Roy’s (David Neilson) reluctancy to step into the modern world and start using a smartphone leads to a surprising new storyline.

Shall we start with that one then?

Have a seat (has anyone actually moved much since Christmas Day?), grab a tea and enjoy as we bring you the spoilers (so far) for Coronation Street’s 2023.

Roy’s addiction

Yep, you read that correctly.

After refusing to use his new phone, Roy was left eating his words after Nina (Mollie Gallagher) got into trouble in the river.

Nina, Brian (Peter Gunn) and Asha (Tanisha Gorey) headed into the woods at the start of the week to try and find Roy.

He was there for a bat meeting but, as he didn’t have his phone, he remained unaware that the meeting had actually been cancelled.

When Nina spotted Roy’s thermos in the river, she panicked and assumed he had fallen in.

A shaken Nina then fell and tumbled down the bank and, during the aftermath, Roy admitted that if he’d accepted the phone gift, the ordeal never would’ve happened.

So, as Roy gets to grips with texting (WhatsApp and Snapchat are probably a bit too advanced for him, currently), Corrie boss Iain MacLeod has told us this storyline is going to take quite an interesting turn.

‘On the back of the river scenes, Roy realises he does need a mobile phone, which leads into a classic Corrie story about him and mobile phone addictions. When I got here, I heard rumours that David Neilson’s one red line was that Roy would never have a mobile phone, so when we storylined it I thought he was going to go mad!’.

‘By the end of it, normal service is resumed, Roy won’t be posting TikTok videos or anything like that!’.

The next part of Stephen’s story

Away from the small matter of Teddy to deal with, Stephen turns his attention to Carla (Alison King) in the new year.

We’ve already seen that he’s now got his foot back in the Underworld door, working alongside Carla but secretly planning to knock this iconic queen from her pedestal.

As Carla takes advantage of her managerial role, she starts winding Stephen up by belittling him and getting him to make teas and coffees.

This, understandably, winds Stephen up good and proper and so, he takes action! And that action is something, according to Iain, no viewer will guess.

‘If anyone predicts what Stephen does to Carla, I’ll eat my hat’, he said.

‘His plan is so out there and dark that I’d be incredibly surprised if anyone spots it coming over the hill’.

Damon makes his mark

Damon Hay (Ciaran Griffiths) has only met a handful of the Weatherfield residents since his arrival, but he’s creating the façade that he’s a smooth talking cheeky chappy.

We know this side to Damon isn’t completely genuine, as we’ve already seen him organise for Harvey (Will Mellor) – his brother – to be beaten up in prison, and make subtle threats to Nick (Ben Price), who has inadvertently invested Damon’s money into the bistro.

It’s Damon’s involvement in the Bistro that impacts Jacob’s (Jack James Ryan) life in a negative way. He begins working at the restaurant, which puts him closer to his dad, who has a plan to start dealing drugs through the deliveries.

Damon’s storyline will take us right through to the summer, with Iain telling us that his team are ‘currently working on June storylines and a colossal explosion in the story involving Damon’.

‘Damon has a sense of danger and magnetism. He turns on a sixpence from this charming, youth orientated businessman to a terrifying dead eyed shark’.

The precinct

Arguably one of the biggest changes to occur this year in Coronation Street is the precinct.

The set is completely brand new, but it’s been made to look as though it’s been there for years. This will allow for expansion of storylines and new ones too, with the precinct also having things including maisonettes, charity shops, a bakery and a playground area.

‘I’m thrilled with it!’, Iain told us.

‘It’s exactly how I envisaged it because the design team and I spent a long time looking at photographs of real life precincts, we really nailed down the era of it too – really Salford, earthy, gritty.

‘Sort of the place you might go to in the daytime to buy an ice cream, but may not want to go down there after dark because it might be full of kids up to no good!’.

The first scenes featuring the precinct will air in the episode of Coronation Street being broadcast on January 13.

Hope’s fascination with her killer dad

Hope Stape (Isabella Flanagan) never fails to surprise us when it comes to her actions. She’s been very busy getting to know her serial killer father through the medium of a book and secret cassette tapes.

Hope has already told Sam (Jude Riordan) that by listening to the tapes she feels closer to her dad but in the coming weeks, her fascination with John Stape leads to surprising results…and it involves a chinchilla.

‘She develops a toxic curiosity about him that leads to fairly interesting blackly comedic territory’, Iain told us.

‘She becomes slightly obsessed in a way that causes problems for Fiz and Tyrone, their troubles are behind them but as a parent, your troubles are never entirely behind you!’.

‘There will be some difficulty parenting Hope going forward. Without giving too much away, her troubled behaviour ends up in a fairly acrimonious feud with an adult neighbour who also happens to have a chinchilla…I’ll leave your imagination to fill in the blanks’.

All of this, of course, is leading to a temporary goodbye for Fiz after Jennie McAlpine confirmed her pregnancy.

Will Fiz and Tyrone part on good terms – and will Hope be involved?

The final part of Max’s storyline

Max Turner (Paddy Bever) faces police questioning after his involvement in Griff’s (Michael Condron) gang is revealed.

It causes huge problems for the Platt family as they start to question, do they support Max, or not?

One person who isn’t prepared to show the teenager any sympathy is Gail (Helen Worth), which causes David (Jack P Shepherd) some upset.

Heading to the station, just how much will Max give away?

Let’s not forget, Griff has spent the last few months manipulating and grooming the teen and recently, he told him that if he told anyone about the bomb exploding in the car, he’d end up like that dead rabbit in the woods.

The Three Dads

Todd (Gareth Pierce), Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) and Paul (Peter Ash) spent a lot of 2022 looking after a troubled Summer (Harriet Bibby) but as 2023 gets underway, the focus is placed back onto the trio.

‘Romance is in the air for two of them’, Iain explained.

‘Historically, there has been strong feelings from both Team Todd/Billy and Paul/Billy. We’ve ended up picking a team, but whatever team ends up being the couple at the end of the story will be about the three of them’.

‘It’s a really interesting year for all of them, they are at the centre of one of our biggest stories’.

Daisy, a DJ and the arrival of her mother

There’s a lot coming up for Daisy (Charlotte Jordan) as her wedding with Daniel (Rob Mallard) draws ever closer.

Having found a venue she adores, the next thing on her list is a DJ for the reception.

With a top DJ playing a local event, Daisy takes herself along, and soon finds herself flirting with him, eventually putting her number in his phone and posting pictures of them together online.

But it’s not just the DJ set to make an appearance in Daisy’s life, as her mum, Christine (Amy Robbins) is set to rock up on the Cobbles.

‘Her performance fantastic and provides lightness in run up to wedding,’ Iain said. ‘It illuminates Daisy backstory.

‘She presents as a very together, comfortable in her own skin, confident, glamorous young woman. We discover her past is slightly sadder than that.

‘Nothing hugely tragic or traumatic but we round out her backstory with loads of pathos. We feel really sorry for Daisy which balances out the crazy wedding planning. There’s a bit of everything.

‘It’s going to be an important story and one you don’t generally see on television, and will be a long runner.’

What’s next for Summer?

With Summer (Harriet Bibby) having made the decision to be a surrogate for Mike (Tom Lorcan) and Esther (Vanessa Hehir), she soon makes a shocking discovery as secrets about the couple begin to unravel.

Determined to hear the truth direct from the horses mouth, she pays Mike a visit. However, things turn deadly when he locks her in the nursery without her phone or insulin.

‘Its going to end badly for some of them.’ Iain said of this storyline.

‘Summer is driven by the fact she feels guilty for some of the lies she’s told to Esther and Mike. Essentially, in an effort to make amends for some of that, she allows herself to turn a blind eye to some of the red flags going off in Esther and Mike’s relationship and story generally.

‘Summer finds herself in a certain degree of mortal danger as a result of her determination to do right by them and make up for the lies.’

The teens at the centre of the action

Last but certainly not least, Iain has teased a huge storyline for the young people on the Cobbles, that will have enormous ramifications for everyone on the street.

‘This story I think will encourage conversations you’d never normally have in that cross generational way because it’s tricky tonal territory. I’m pleased with it.

‘We’re working with charities to make sure we get the detail right and fundamentally its just about those brilliant young actors being the superstars they are, then reaching out into the wider street through people who are connected to them.

‘There is huge stuff for those directly involved then parents/loved ones/families/extended friendship groups and ripples spread out across the whole show.’

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30pm on ITV.

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