Coronation Street star Julia Goulding has had the most elaborate maternity leave exit in the show’s history. Usually, actresses who’ve valiantly spent months concealing pregnancy bumps behind increasingly large handbags or chunky-knit sweaters find their characters suddenly called upon to aid off-screen sick relatives. But there’s been nothing so mundane for Shona.
After getting shot on Christmas Day, it seemed as though she’d be in a coma for the entire time that Goulding is away. Now comes an unforeseen complication: Shona is set to regain consciousness, but it soon becomes clear that she no longer recognises David.
If, like me, you shudder at the prospect of a memory-loss twist (mainly because you’re still scarred by Teri Bauer’s amnesia in 24), you’ll no doubt already be groaning. Because it could take up to a year before Shona shows any sign of improvement, which, I’m guessing, could be the period that Goulding may be absent. Convenient, eh?
Those who feel like jeering every time that Geoff appears on screen will have plenty of reason to boo when he tells Yasmeen’s friends that she’s an alcoholic. But will she likes of Cathy and Brian be taken in by his lies? One thing’s for certain: an already suspicious Alya won’t be duped so easily and ends up trying to convince her gran to contradict Geoff.
And speaking of malignant schemers, we also have nanny from hell Jade trying to ensure that Fiz is left with nothing. First, she targeted her kids, now she’s attempting to get Fiz kicked out of the family home as the investigation of the social care team ramps up.
