It's been a harrowing year for Fiz and Tyrone, who have faced every parent's worst nightmare when they learned that Fiz's little girl, Hope, had been diagnosed with cancer in Coronation Street.

In a bid to give his stepdaughter the best Christmas ever, Tyrone has been getting more and more in debt as his spending has spiralled out of control – something he has been keeping a secret from his new fiancee, Fiz.

Next week, little Hope finally gets the operation she so desperately needs. But, with the pressure building, will Tyrone be able to contine carrying his heavy secret?  

As the week begins, Fiz and Tyrone's car breaks down, so Roy kindly comes to the rescue and drives the family to the hospital. Consumed with money worries, and fearing for Hope's life, Tyrone is at breaking point. When he is short-changed by a vending machine, the mechanic loses his cool…

After apologising to a horrified Fiz for his out-of-character outburst in the hospital corridor, the couple are called in to see the consultant about the progress of Hope's operation. Against all the odds, the operation was a success! 

Back at home later in the week, Tyrone persuades Fiz to stay away from hospital because she has a cold. However, when Ted the elf calls around, complaining that he hasn't been paid for his role in Tyrone's winter wonderland, alarm bells start ringing for Fiz… 

As Fiz confronts Tyrone, will the troubled mechanic finally tell Fiz the truth about the £10k of debt he has run up? And will Fiz forgive him when he explains he just wanted to give Hope a magical Christmas?

Find out in Coronation Street from Monday, January 11.  

Jennie McAlpine and Alan Halsall give the inside story of what promises to be an unforgettable Christmas on Coronation Street for Fiz, Tyrone and family.

It’s been a difficult year for the family, given Hope’s cancer diagnosis – so how do Fiz and Tyrone feel about Christmas?

Jennie: "Tyrone has been saying they should make it really special, and Fiz has tried to embrace it as much as she can. Everyone’s supportive and she’s pulled along with that, really."

Alan: "He just wants it to be the best Christmas ever; he feels it is his job to be the provider and he isn’t going to let the fact that he has no money get in the way of that."

Tyrone is spending a lot of money – is Fiz aware of how much debt he is in?

Jennie: "No, viewers will have seen him hiding bills, but Fiz is putting all her energies into Hope so she isn’t questioning things."

Why isn't Tyrone being honest with her?

Alan: "It makes him feel like he has failed – he is so determined to show he is supporting Fiz and Hope that he has lost sight of what really matters."

Do they buy each other Christmas presents?

Jennie: "No, and it is actually sad on Christmas Day that they don’t bother. Fiz is a bit upset. Men out there, reading this – when we say we don’t want anything, we don’t actually mean it!"

Can you give us a taste of what the Weatherfield ‘Lapland’ will look like?

Jennie: "The first time we walked onto the set and saw what our brilliant design department had done was really magical. There’s nothing I imagined being there that wasn’t. There were lots of epic shots where I wasn’t needed and I just stood back watching the scene, crying. Everyone will need a box of tissues handy, but in an uplifting ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ kind of way."

Alan: "It looks incredible – the design team blew us away. It even felt colder! We were all like big kids making snowballs and throwing them at each other even when the cameras stopped filming. There are 24 trees, Victorian lamp posts, and a sleigh with some very special reindeer! "

What can you tell us about Tyrone’s proposal?

Jennie: "Fiz is totally caught off guard. Viewers will see that it doesn’t happen exactly how Tyrone intends, but the way it ends up happening is magical.

Alan: "As proposals go, it is pretty special."

Would you like Fiz and Tyrone to get married? If so, what kind of a wedding would you like?

Jennie: "I would – and anything better than her last wedding in prison to John Stape would be an improvement! Fiz would love the girls as bridesmaids. I think sometimes she and Tyrone wish they didn’t have the pasts that they’ve had, but if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have this lovely family with Ruby and Hope."

Alan: "I think it would be nice for them to get married and I know the fans like the idea of it. But who knows how Fiz is going to react when she finds out how much debt Tyrone is in. If they do get married, it’s not going to be a grand affair!"

What is your all-time favourite Corrie Christmas episode?

Jennie: "When Cilla tried to cook the turkey on the sunbed. And over the years we’ve had some great fun at the Underworld Christmas parties. But it was lovely this year that we could give Maisie [who plays Ruby], Faith and Nicole [the twins who play Hope] a really special Christmas and get the real Father Christmas here – although it was probably a bit confusing for them that it happened in October!"

Alan: "I don’t have a specific favourite, but I used to love filming the scenes around the dinner table with Jack and Vera. It was a real honour to work with those guys."

What are your own plans for Christmas?

Jennie: "We’ll be at home. My partner Chris will be to-ing and fro-ing as he has the restaurant to run [the couple own Annies in Manchester], but we’ll cram in lots of family visits and everyone will want to see our little boy, Albert. Last year, he was only a month old and he slept all the way through Christmas dinner. I’m expecting the total opposite this year, so it’ll be slightly less relaxing, but probably more fun."

Alan: "Lucy [Alan’s wife, actress Lucy-Jo Hudson] and I are doing the entertaining this year and we have both our families round – there’s 12 on Christmas Day and 15 on Boxing Day, so a real traditional family Christmas."

What is the best Christmas present you have ever received, and what are you hoping for this year?

Jennie: "A Barbie boutique, when I was little. I always wanted a shop, and it had hangers, carrier bags, a till and changing rooms. What I also wanted and still have never got was an actual till. We have one at the restaurant but it’s computerised, and I want a proper one with the receipt thingy. My dad made me one, but I had to do my own beeps."

Alan: "The best present I ever got was when I was about 7 or 8, and me and my brother got a child’s size motorbike to share. We have always been obsessed with motorbikes and that was a complete surprise. This year, I wouldn’t mind some new irons – I am a keen golfer."

Will you be watching Corrie on Christmas Day?

Jennie: "Of course, and now I know it’s going to be a really magical one, I can watch it with everyone."

Alan: "I never watch the show when I’m in it – and I know I am in it a lot on Christmas Day. Lucy will probably watch it on catch-up, though, and let me know how it was!"

Coronation Street's Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) has made it his Christmas mission to make this festive season the best ever for cancer victim Hope, the young daughter of his partner, Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine).

Having racked up a secret pile of debt, and having had to cancel a festive trip to Lapland, he feels the onus is on him to make everything right for the little girl he looks on as his own and whose future is uncertain because of her illness.

So, having already turned down an offer of help from a concerned Roy Cropper (David Neilson), how will Tyrone react when the factory girls organise a Christmas surprise of their own for Hope?

Following a whip round at Underworld, Fiz asks Kirk Sutherland (Andy Whyment), his wife, Beth (Lisa George), and Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn) to put up the Christmas decorations at No 9. Does Tyrone have any idea what to expect when Fiz leads him in blindfolded?

It doesn't look like it when Fiz lifts her hands from Tyrone's eyes and he takes in the scene around him…

The living room has been transformed into a Christmas grotto bedecked with decorations, tinsel and a beautiful tree…

Tyrone's sullen reaction isn't what's expected and Fiz berates him for his ingratitude as Sinead, Beth and Kirk hurriedly leave… Will it be a merry Christmas at No 9 after all?

Watch Coronation Street on ITV from Monday, December 14

Tyrone's efforts to turn Corrie into a winter wonderland look like they're all to no avail

Tyrone's Lapland project is finally coming to life in time for Hope to enjoy Christmas after months of treatment. But will Hope be out of hospital in time?

With final preparations underway on Christmas Eve, Sinead and Chesney return from Portugal. But it's clear Sinead is out of sorts…

With the plan coming together - including lights and a snow machine – despondent Tyrone suddenly announces it looks like Hope won't be home in time

But when all looks lost, Tyrone gets the best surprise when a taxi pulls up and Fiz steps out – with Hope!

As they all hug and the tree lights up, it's beginning to look a lot like a very happy Christmas for Tyrone and the family

As Christmas Day arrives, it seems the whole street has been looking forward to the big unveiling of Lapland in Weatherfield!

Tyrone's chuffed with his winter wonderland for daughter Ruby and especially Hope

Surrounded by snow, trees, decorations, happiness and family, Tyrone and Fiz can't think of anything better for their little family

Then another familiar face arrives!

It's Santa and his little helpers. Well, you can't have a Christmas Day Lapland on your doorstep without Father Christmas!

But it seems that, on a magical day of surprises, there's one more to come…

Tyrone has also planned to propose to Fiz by popping an engagement ring in a Christmas cracker! Watch Coronation Street on ITV from Monday, December 21

Coronation Street's Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) and Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) have been living every parent's worst nightmare since Hope was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of cancer. They've been told there's good reason to be confident in Hope's case, but the strain of living day-to-day not knowing if she will beat the disease is testing Fiz and Tyrone to the limit.

It's time for Hope's latest hospital appointment. Will it be good news, or bad?

At the hospital, Fiz and Tyrone do their best to remain upbeat, and they're relieved when the consultant tells them Hope’s cancer hasn’t spread… She needs chemotherapy, but has an 80 per cent chance of recovery.

Later, Fiz and Tyrone wait nervously with Hope as she's prepared for her operation in the hospital. They’re touched when Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn) visits with a Thunderbirds costume she’s made to cheer up the little girl.

Fiz and Tyrone struggle to hide their worry. Will Hope's operation go OK or will the family suffer another blow?

Watch Coronation Street on ITV from Wednesday, 14 October

Fiz and Tyrone find out that Hope’s very, very ill and Tyrone becomes determined to make the little girl happy - no matter what the cost, Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall explains to Soaplife...

Tyrone and Fiz have been hoping against hope that the outcome of Hope’s biopsy will bring good rather than bad news. But it’s not to be.

“Doctors tell them Hope has a cancer called neuroblastoma and she’ll need chemotherapy. It’s a real kick in the gut for them,” says Alan.

How are Fiz and Tyrone coping with Hope’s illness?

“By living day-to-day. They have to stay cheerful for Hope, and also for Ruby. They still need to shop for food, Tyrone has to go to work, and so on… They try to distract themselves by doing ordinary things, but it’s on their minds all the time. It’s a nightmare for them.”

But Tyrone tries to see the positives when they receive Hope’s results…

“Absolutely. It’s in his nature, plus he’s determined to be strong for Fiz [Jennie McAlpine] in order to support her. He’s very worried himself, but he feels he has to hold it together for the sake of his family.”

What makes Tyrone book the trip to Lapland?

“Once he gets the full diagnosis and realises it could be very serious, he just wants to make whatever time they have is extra special. He wants to give the girls the best Halloween, the best Bonfire Night and, of course, the best Christmas. Hope’s face lights up when he mentions Lapland so he just goes ahead on a whim and books it.”

What’s Fiz’s reaction?

“Fiz is concerned about money, but I think this is fuelled by fear. Not just the fear of having no money, but a fear of everything. It’s all driven by the worry of what could happen to her child. For Ty, money’s not at all important… but Hope, Fiz and Ruby are. He figures they’ll just cope.”

Will they?

“It’s going to get tough, and Fiz and Ty’s relationship will come under strain. But, then again, their relationship may also become stronger as a result. The fact that Hope isn’t Tyrone’s biological daughter makes absolutely no difference to him. She’s as much his daughter as Ruby is.”

Coronation Street, ITV.

Jason Grimshaw's business is on the line when Tyrone falls through the floor of his loft conversion in Coronation Street next week.

The mechanic is inspecting Jason and his team's handiwork, unaware that Todd and Tony have used substandard materials to do the conversion. As Ty takes photos from a ladder he falls from a modest height... But the floor gives way and Tyrone crashes to the ground below!

Never mind Tyrone's injuries, Jason is stunned when Todd and Tony tell him he get claim on insurance because the investigators will discover the conversion didn't meet building standards...

Watch the scoop on Coronation Street, above.

Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has said she feels so close to her co-stars after growing up around them that it felt weird to do a kissing scene with Alan Halsall.

Samia plays Maria Connor in the ITV soap, who recently tried to make a move on pal Tyrone Dobbs (Alan) while she was having a breakdown as a result of her break-up with Marcus Dent (Charlie Condou).

“Alan and I have known each other since we were babies. It’s always funny when I have to try and kiss him because he absolutely does not want to go anywhere near me. I’m like a sister to him so it’s just so wrong.

“We had this scene where Tyrone had to pull back from me kissing him and Alan literally leapt off the sofa. They shouted, ‘Cut!’ and I was like, ‘Could you have moved back any quicker - am I that repulsive?’. He said, ‘I’m sorry, it just feels so wrong’.”

Samia said of her other past and present co-stars: “I’ve known Andy Whyment [Kirk Sutherland] since I was six. Andy, Ryan Thomas [Jason Grimshaw], Alan, Tina O'Brien [Sarah-Louise Platt] and Jane Danson [Leanne Tilsley] - we've all grown up together like we’re in the same big family."

Coronation Street, ITV, Monday, July 14, 7.30pm

Photos of the big storyline Coronation Street

Coronation Street’s Samia Ghadie warns Soaplife that Maria goes into meltdown when Tyrone finds out she's the one who has been terror-texting him… And so does he!

How does Tyrone find out Maria is behind the texts?

"Maria has just declared her love for him when he sees Fiz’s number flash up on her phone and he realises she's been pretending to be Kirsty. Maria has a complete meltdown then. Tyrone is quite aggressive towards her, which is really out of character for him and she just breaks down in tears. It’s a very dark time for Maria."

What does she say to Tyrone?

"She tells him she did it because she loves him. That makes no sense to anyone else but it makes complete sense to Maria, who's clearly not in a good place mentally and just not thinking straight. What would be weird behaviour to others just seems normal to Maria right now."

Does Maria really love Tyrone?

"I think Maria genuinely does want Tyrone back but she certainly hasn't gone about it in the right way. She's also not right in wanting Tyrone back as he's with Fiz and he's happy. What she's doing makes sense in her head because he was her first love and she thinks if she'd have stayed with Tyrone, then everything would be all right and none of this stuff with Marcus would have happened."

What if Tyrone and Fiz report her to the police?

"Maria will be terrified. She's basically had a nervous breakdown, she's not herself and I think it's a result of what's happened over the past few years. She's been heartbroken so many times and been through so much stuff. Finding Marcus with Todd just tipped her over the edge."

If Tyrone does take pity on her, what will she do?

"Hopefully leave Weatherfield for a while to sort herself out. It’s not just Tyrone and Fiz she's upset, she's also worried about what other people in the Street will think about her. She needs to get away from Weatherfield and Marcus and get back to being Maria."

Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall reveals to Soaplife how Tyrone’s shocked and horrified when Maria declares her love for him... And then he finds out she’s the terror texter!

Did Tyrone really have no idea that Maria had fallen for him again?

“Not really. He took the kiss as a silly mistake because Maria’s been in such a bad place.”

But he didn’t even understand Fiz’s concerns about Maria…

“He’s been a bit irritated by Fiz’s jealousy because she should know that he’d never cheat on her. Maybe he should have confided in Fiz about the Kirsty texts, but Tyrone feels Fiz’s reaction has caused more harm than good. Maria’s the only other person he could think of turning to.”

Is he at all tempted when Maria tells him she loves him?

“Maria may have been his first love, but Fiz is the only woman for him. Maria is his friend - no more. Although this may not be the case when Tyrone discovers the truth about Maria masquerading as Kirsty.”

How does he find out?

“He’s at Maria’s flat and he sees ‘Fiz’ flash up on her phone when it rings. He answers and it soon dawns on him Maria is behind the texts. It’s very disturbing for Tyrone to think a trusted friend could cause so much fear and heartbreak for his family.”

What does he say to Maria?

“He’s furious and disgusted, and can’t stand to be around her. Maybe he’ll forgive her at some point, but it won’t be for a while.”

What now for Tyrone and Fiz?

“Tyrone has a lot of making up to do. He’s hurt Fiz by dismissing her suspicions. They love each other, though, so hopefully they’ll come through this.”

Coronation Street star Alan Halsall has teased that Maria Connor will get more vengeful, especially when Marcus Dent returns to Weatherfield.

Maria (Samia Ghadie) has been texting Alan's character Tyrone Dobbs, pretending to be his terrorising ex Kirsty Soames, but the actor hinted things could soon become more unbearable for the unsuspecting mechanic when her ex-boyfriend shows up.

"I think things are going to get a lot worse. Maria's got so much going on, trying to confuse [Tyrone] and emotions going everywhere, and then Marcus turns up again," he told Coronation Street's official website.

"I think Marcus turning up again will push Maria to a limit. Maria's going to up her game a bit and then, who knows what she will do?"

Alan also admitted Maria's psycho tendencies will put pressure on Tyrone and Fiz Stape's relationship.

"There's lots of tension because of these texts from 'Kirsty' and that puts a hell of a lot of stress on Tyrone and Fiz's relationship. They've also got jobs and two kids and lots going on, and it puts their relationship under a lot of strain," he said.

"I think Maria is enjoying it - it comes from her being very sad as well, but she's making these problems so she can be a shoulder to cry on for him and I think she's loving that dependency."

The 31-year-old, who is married to former Coronation Street co-star Lucy-Jo Hudson in real life, said Tyrone has no idea about Maria's plans.

"He has no idea that Maria is harbouring feelings for him again. He's so clueless with it that he wouldn't have put two and two together. I don't think he'd think that Maria could do anything like that," he explained.

Marcus, played by Charlie Condou, will return to Coronation Street later this month.

– Press Association

It was bad enough for Tyrone when he heard Kirsty had been released from jail and he was worried she might try to steal little Ruby and wreck his relationship with Fiz. But when he starts receiving texts from a number unknown, he’s convinced his violent ex-wife is stalking him. “Tyrone’s horrified and insists that he and Fiz barricade themselves in,” Alan tells Soaplife. “Then Maria arrives. Tyrone shows her the text and she pretends she knows nothing about it and comforts him.”

And life for Tyrone is about to become even more troubled, says Coronation Street star Alan Halsall.

Why does Tyrone confide in Maria rather than Fiz?

“Fiz hasn’t handled the Kirsty thing very well. She tries to call ‘Kirsty’ and shouts down the phone at her, but Tyrone thinks that she’s causing more harm than good. He also doesn’t want to worry her further when he receives more texts. The only other person he can think of turning to is Maria. Obviously, that’s the wrong choice as it’s really Maria sending the texts.”

Isn’t he wary of Maria after she tried to kiss him?

“I wouldn’t say he was wary, but he does feel a bit uneasy. He’s shocked as he wasn’t expecting her to try to kiss him. But Maria was so apologetic and mortified when Tyrone pushed her away, and he thought she was just not thinking straight.”

How would he feel if he knew that Maria was really sending the texts?

“Shocked and appalled. He trusts Maria, she’s his friend and I think he would feel completely betrayed.”

What does he think of all her talk about him being her 'first love'?

“Tyrone loves Fiz - it’s as simple as that. He does have feelings for Maria, but only as a friend. He’s fond of her, she was his girlfriend and he was in love with her once, but not any more.”

Do you think this is all going to end badly for Maria?

“Maria’s in a dark place and isn’t thinking straight. She’s deluded when she thinks she and Tyrone would be happy together. I think this is going to end very badly for Maria. She’s playing with peoples’ lives and that’s never going to end well, is it?”

Tyrone's about to learn his fate in Coronation Street and actor Alan Halsall takes time out to talk to TV Times magazine about what’s next for him and his luckless character…

How do you feel about the domestic abuse story coming to an end this week?

"In one sense I am gutted that it's coming to an end, as it has been the biggest storyline I have been involved in, but you know, these storylines can’t go on for ever. I knew it was going to be coming to a head around about now, but hopefully this storyline will lead to others."

What sort of a week is Tyrone in for as the court case progresses?

"It’s a terrifying week for Tyrone. He is not feeling confident at all. He is very naïve and thought that if he stood in court and said it as it was, people would believe him, but he is starting to see that may not be enough."

What was it like filming in a real court?

"It was really atmospheric. It's my first court case on Corrie. It’s a real old-fashioned courtroom; there are all these barristers and you get this build-up of drama. I was thinking ‘Who has been sat here before?'"

Is Tyrone thinking about Fiz?

"Absolutely. What he has wanted most out of his life is that settled family life, he sees that with Fiz and it has been taken out of his reach"

Is everybody asking you how it ends?

"All the way through this the reaction from people in the street has been gob-smacking. Now, when I'm walking along, people stop me and say 'Does this mean you are out of prison?'"

How do you feel about winning the Outstanding Performance in a Serial Drama award at the Nationa Television Awards for the first time?

"Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a big enough ego and anyone here will tell you that, but I think the award is more to do with what they have done with the story. I was thrilled with it, but it’s been such a group effort. The writers, all the people behind the scenes, and Natalie Gumede and Jennie McAlpine in the front – I think we all share it."

Did you feel the time was right for you to take on such a huge storyline?

"Yes, because before it, Tyrone had been through two tough stories. He found out that his baby was his best friend’s and his wife Molly died. Then Jack, the man who was his father figure died. I was ready for something even bigger to get my teeth into, but also, Tyrone was very vulnerable to what happened next."

Are you pleased with the way the story ends?

"Yes, I am glad that Corrie have taken it as far as possible, to the point where people will either realise that Tyrone is not the perpetrator or that he wasn’t and it’s too late."

Will you be sad to see Natalie Gumede go?

"Devastated. She is such a talented actress, I love her to pieces and to make an immediate impact on a show like this is a tough thing to do. I'm excited for her and I think she will go on to some really exciting projects."

You must be feeling on top of the world. Your career is flying high and you’ve just announced that you and your wife, actress Lucy-Jo Hudson, are having a baby...

"Yes, life is good at the moment. Lucy-Jo and I are both over the moon and here at work, I can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for Tyrone. All he wants is a settled family life with Fiz and Ruby, but you don’t always get what you want in soaps."

Baby Ruby kidnapped

The net closes in on a desperate Tyrone as he hides out in Wales with baby Ruby and Fiz...