Damon Hay has quickly made his presence felt on the Coronation Street cobbles; upending the life of his son Jacob and manipulating Nick Tilsley, who has secretly accepted money from Damon’s incarcerated brother, Harvey Gaskell.
The drug dealer is the kind of fella to be avoided at all costs, but for one woman, that’s going to prove impossible.
Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod has revealed that one Weatherfield female will risk everything by embarking on an affair with the brooding baddie.
“There’s something about a bad boy, isn’t there?” says MacLeod.
“As the year goes on, Damon has a magnetic attraction for a notable, high-profile female character, who ends up having her head turned in a way that has far-reaching consequences.
“There’s a build-up to this love story, then a colossal explosion that will air in June.”
The identity of the woman is being kept under wraps so, for now, all we can do is speculate as to who might fall under Damon’s spell.
Leanne could be an option. She may be currently loved up with Nick, but she won’t be his biggest fan if she discovers he took dirty cash from Harvey — a man who almost destroyed her life. And, while she has mellowed over the years, she’ll always have that rebellious, Battersby spirit.
But Corrie fans have long loved the Nick and Leanne partnership, and it may be unrealistic for the relationship to survive should Leanne stray — particularly as Damon’s brother Harvey was the killer of Nick’s son Sam’s mother, Natasha.
Will Corrie bosses really want to drive a permanent wedge between the couple?
Tracy must surely be a strong contender, too, if only for the fact that she’s due a decent storyline; having had little to do in the past 12 months other than moan about some scaffolding.
She could come into Damon’s orbit via daughter Amy, who is currently dating Damon’s son Jacob (although not for much longer). And let’s not forget, she has form for playing away. Back in 2019, she cheated on Steve with solicitor Paula Martin.
When it comes to high-profile females, Carla Barlow also fits the bill. She looked pretty smitten with hubby Peter at New Year, but Corrie boss Iain MacLeod has revealed that tension is in store for the couple in the coming months, as part of a storyline in which Carla is at war with secret cobbles killer Stephen Reid.
Says MacLeod, "Peter’s deeply concerned about his wife’s history of mental health problems.
"He’ll put her offside by trying to be overprotective and fight her battles. He'll intervene in an unhelpful way by suggesting her priorities are all wrong."
Riled by Peter's behaviour, could Carla seek solace in the arms of another man?
Whoever the mystery woman is, no doubt there'll be passion, regret and plenty of tears...
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITV Hub.
