Coronation Street reveals new man for Maria – who’s the lucky guy?

(Image credit: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The hairdresser thinks her love life is doomed - but her perfect man may be right under her nose...

Coronation Street favourite Maria Connor is heading for a hot romance this Summer with dishy doc Ali Neeson, we can reveal.

Maria (Samia Longchambon) may be in her mid-30s, but she feels like twice that when she ends up having a girly night in with Audrey and Gail. What next? A heated foot warmer and membership of the local bridge club?

Determined to spice up her life, the unlucky-in-love crimper signs up to a dating app. But as she casts her net in Weatherfield’s pool of single men, she doesn’t get the prize catch she's hoping for.

"Maria goes on a series of hilarious and disastrous dates," our Coronation Street source reveals. "She starts to think that her love life must be doomed, and she confides in Ali."

More: Check out the latest EastEnders spoilers

Ali Coronation Street, played by James Burrows — Ali has the hots for Maria... but as she pours out her heart, will she realise?

As Maria offloads on the medic, little does she realise that Michelle’s handsome lad has fallen hard for her.

"Maria goes to great lengths to find 'the one'", adds our mole, "little realising that the perfect man could be right under her nose…"

Will Cupid intervene and bring the two gorgeous singletons together?

Coronation Street continues on ITV this Wednesday at 7.30pm.

Main pic of Maria: ITV/REX/Shutterstock

Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine.

She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way.

There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.