Christmas is packed with showdowns, betrayals and twists down Coronation Street way – and then a tragedy follows at New Year!
In our full episode guide, we look at what happens in each visit to Weatherfield over the incoming two weeks and it’s the end of an era as Gail Platt (Helen Worth) makes her final appearance.
Before she goes, she is visited by a spooky Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) and then she has to make a final decision on her wedding to Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson).
Meanwhile, her entire family are at war with one another – can she get the the happy ending she deserves despite all of this going on around her?
Speaking of family clashes, Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) is arrested thanks to the actions of sister Leanne (Jane Danson). When the truth comes to light, expect an almighty scrap between the siblings.
And as 2025 looms, there’s bad news for DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) after Carla Connor (Alison King) collapses and receives a serious diagnosis…
Grab a mince pie and a mulled wine, put down the shopping list and chill out in as you take a delve into this massive Corrie insight!
Monday December 23
Returning from Tenerife, Nick calls at the bistro and is ushered into the office from Leanne who explains there’s a problem with the accounts.
Going over the figures and discovering a series of payments made to TLH Holdings, he calls the bank to freeze their account. When Toyah arrives for work, excited that Nick is back, her excitement turns to shock when Kit arrests her on suspicion of theft and fraud by abuse of trust.
Toyah assures Nick that she’s never stolen a penny from the bistro, someone has set her up and she reckons that someone is Leanne.
Dee-Dee asks Alya to report back to her about Lauren’s plea hearing and attends her appointment with the genetic counsellor who talks her through the tests she’ll have to establish if her baby is a suitable donor for Frankie.
Lauren’s solicitor warns her that by pleading not guilty, the case will go to trial and the prosecution will rake over her unsavoury past.
Max visits Lauren and warns her that if she pleads guilty for a lesser sentence, Frankie will grow up thinking his Mum killed his Dad when it’s not true.
Lisa confronts Betsy after finding a picture of Mason, taken in Betsy’s room, on social media. When Lisa calls in the factory, Carla announces to the factory workers that she and Lisa are now an item but when Betsy makes a sarcastic remark, Lisa’s mortified.
Carla invites Betsy to join her and Lisa at the bistro for dinner and suggests they all start afresh but Mason arrives.
At No.8, Jesse tells David that he’s managed to launder the last of the cash. When Gail wonders what they’re talking about, Jesse panics and makes out that he was telling David how he’s booked them a honeymoon in the Maldives.
Unable to bite her tongue any longer, Audrey tells Gail that if she marries Jesse, she’ll never see her again.
As Kit and Daisy sit down to dinner in Speed Daal, it’s clear there’s something between them, but the mood is broken when Daniel and Bethany arrive at the next table.
Christmas Eve
At Gail and Jesse’s farewell party in The Rovers, tensions are high between the Platt family. With Audrey refusing to give her blessing to Gail, she results in taking one last desperate measure to stop Gail from leaving and reveals that Jesse and David have been up to no good behind her back.
Later, as an upset and exhausted Gail drifts in and out of sleep on the sofa, she has a surprise visitor in Richard Hillman…
As Debbie tries to interest Shona in her New Year’s Eve party, Shona is dismissive leaving Debbie taking offence, pointing out she seemed quite at home in the hotel the other night – David overhears!
After sneaking a look inside Nick’s briefcase, Leanne is furious to see a wrapped Christmas present for Toyah. Leanne calls at the station and shows Craig a pile of presents from Nick to Toyah, making out that they are in it together.
Christmas Day
With Gail and Jesse’s planned wedding day finally here, will Gail leave Weatherfield as a married woman or bid farewell to her feuding family on her own?
When opening Christmas presents, David becomes suspicious of Shona when he doesn’t unwrap the aftershave he found in Shona’s bag. When Adam calls round wreaking of aftershave, explaining it was a Christmas present, David is more suspicious.
Adam knocks back whisky, unaware David is drinking water. Shona and Sarah arrive to hear David accusing Adam of sleeping with Shona behind his back. A row ensues and Adam tumbles down the stairs.
Toyah arrives in the bistro to help Nick set up for Gail and Jesse’s wedding, explaining that Leanne has lifted her ban for the occasion. As guests arrive, the police show up and tell Nick and Toyah that they need to ask them some questions on a fraud allegation.
As Kit shows Nick the account from TLH Holdings, Nick assures Kit he’s never seen them before. At the station a row with Toyah and Leanne escalates into a fight and Max films it
Finding Bethany dressed to the nines, Daniel is delighted to see her looking like her old self. When Bethany gifts Daniel an expensive vintage watch, he seems underwhelmed and an upset Bethany confronts Daniel, convinced he doesn’t want to be with her anymore.
Daniel assures her she couldn’t be more wrong and, getting down on one knee, asks her to marry him.
Friday December 27
Seeking legal advice from Adam and Alya, Nick is advised to do some digging in order to prove that Leanne set him and Toyah up. Toyah explains to Leanne that they never meant to hurt her.
When Amy accuses Nick of sending flirty texts while he was in Tenerife, he decides to scan some CCTV footage and to see that Leanne has two phones.
Kit suggests to Daisy they go for a walk. Bethany thanks Daisy for looking after her bag of clothes and explains she’d like them back now she’s feeling more confident.
Max tells Lily about Leanne and Toyah’s fight, Lily remarks that it should have been Uncle Nick who got thumped as he’s the one who cheated.
Ken unwraps his Christmas present from Cassie and is delighted to discover it’s an album by a favourite composer. Cassie’s equally thrilled when he presents her with a scarf from Porto.
Monday December 30
As a row breaks out between Kit and David, Bernie intervenes, reminding Kit that David was a good mate to Paul. When David returns home to be confronted by Max and Lily demanding answers, Shona explains how David prevented her from seeing her son.
David approaches Kit, hoping to dupe him into confessing to his crimes regarding Nathan Curtis, but Kit sees through him and decides to take the law into his own hands.
As Leanne heads back to her flat, Nick and Toyah watch from across the street. After finding out from Dee-Dee that Leanne could face a custodial sentence, Toyah asks Nick to drop the charges.
Lauren calls Max from prison and admits she’s scared about her trial but as Max does his best to sound positive, he fails to tell her that she’ll be up against the toughest of barristers.
Steve tells Ken that he plans to look for his own place to live. When Ken notices Cassie seems out of sorts, she bursts into tears making out she’s run up a huge debt buying presents for the family.
When a stressed out Lisa reveals that they had a burst pipe and the flat is flooded, Carla invites her and Betsy to stay for new year. As Lisa and Betsy move into her flat, Carla spots some files relating to Becky’s death amongst Lisa’s things leaving Carla feeling awkward.
New Year’s Eve
Lisa surprises Carla with a romantic lunch in the café, but the mood is broken when she receives an urgent call to an incident. As Carla informs Kit, he receives an urgent request for back up at the same address.
Sporting a bruised face and split lip, Lisa assures Carla she’s fine and ready for a drink. In the Rovers, Jenny rings the bell and everyone joins in on the countdown to midnight. When Carla lets slip to Lisa that she loves her, does Lisa feel the same?
Kit tells David that he’s back on the Radcliffe brothers’ hit list and he’d better watch his back. Shona calls at the salon and tentatively suggests to David an evening of board games with Lily.
Ken enthuses about the ballet and tells Cassie that he’s sorry he’s not much company but he feels completely exhausted.
When Evelyn complains that her life lacks purpose these days and Roy suggests she should embark on a law degree.
Leanne runs into Nick, Toyah and Sam who reveal that they’re off into town to celebrate Nick’s birthday.
New Year’s Day
Roy is concerned about Carla when she starts hearing things and looking confused. He suggests she goes home and get some rest but, increasingly worried about her, he lets himself into her flat and finding her barely conscious on the living room floor he calls an ambulance.
In the hospital, the doctor tells Roy that he suspects Carla may be suffering from sepsis.
Meanwhile Lisa is unaware of the drama unfolding as she follows a newly released Matty and confronts him in the precinct demanding he tell her where he was the night Becky was killed.
Having been warned off by Kit, Lisa returns home armed with flowers and wine but finds there’s no sign of Carla.
In the pub Sarah is concerned when she sees Daniel speaking to Daisy and when Daisy is reduced to tears Sarah follows her through the back room and asks what is going on.
At No.1, Cassie appears in Steve’s dressing gown. Steve and Tracy are shocked until she explains that with Steve working a night shift, she stayed over to look after Ken. Cassie winds Tracy up by making out she fancies Ken.
Cassie laments to Ken how he’s cultured, educated and kind whereas she’s the complete opposite. Ken feels sorry for her, unaware she’s playing him. Tracy warns Steve that Cassie is trying to get her claws into Ken and it would be a bad idea for him to move out.
At No.9, Evelyn sets about filling in an online university application form and confides in Tyrone that she’s applied to read law at university.
Dylan calls at No.4 to find Mason busy cooking a meal for Betsy. When Dylan reveals that Tim filled him in on the abuse he’s suffered at the hands of his brothers and suggests they put the past behind them, Mason’s delighted.
Betsy arrives at No.4 and is taken aback to find Mason’s cooked a three course meal and set the table complete with candles.
Friday January 3
After spending the afternoon in bed with Mason Betsy is angry to read text messages on his phone from Stu offering him a job in Germany as a trainee chef.
As she orders him to leave Lisa arrives home and demands to know what is going on. Lisa catches up with Mason and shows him some photos taken at the crime scene of Becky’s death and reveals that his brothers were driving the car that mowed Becky down.
Mason is genuinely shocked and asks Dylan to keep a lookout for him while he searches Matty and Logan’s flat. He and Dylan arrive at the station and hand Lisa a WWII helmet that he found at the flat.
The doctor breaks the news to a shocked Carla that the sepsis has damaged her kidney and she may need another transplant. Ryan returns from Ireland and realising that Carla lied about her whereabouts Lisa visits Carla and spells out that she doesn’t appreciate being lied to.
Carla makes out that she didn’t want any fuss and she’s on the mend. Clearly hurt, Lisa leaves her to it.
Hope and Joseph film prank videos of Tyrone after swapping the sugar on his cereal for salt and upload them to their social media accounts.
Meanwhile, Evelyn is thrown into panic when she receives a text inviting her for an interview at the university. At the university, Evelyn heads in for her interview and is dismayed to come face to face with Marjorie Tavistock, the woman she impersonated at the Chariot Square law lecture.
Tracy confronts Cassie over an advance she has had in her wages from Ken. Tracy tells Steve and Amy that while she’s in Spain, it’s their job to keep an eye on Cassie for her. Steve and Amy reckon she’s worrying about nothing.
Daisy calls at the builder’s yard flat with a bin bag full of Bertie’s toys and explains to Daniel that it’s best if she cuts ties with Bertie.
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