Coronation Street fans were left baffled as Abi Webster made the front page and centre spread of the local newspaper over her secret birth. She recently gave birth to a baby boy without realising she was pregnant.
The relapsed addict gave birth in hospital after being abandoned on the side of a road by her drug dealer when she went into labour. During the birth she gave a fake name to the midwife before abandoning her son and returning to the street.
But she changed her mind after discovering that the baby, who she has named Alfie, was seriously ill and needed an operation. And she's now at the centre of a paternity riddle in the soap which points to solicitor Imran Habeeb being the father instead of her husband Kevin after she and Imran had a one-night stand in September.
Corrie viewers didn't expect Abi's personal life to end up being splashed all over the Weatherfield Gazette. During Wednesday night's episode her furious sister-in-law Debbie stormed round to Kevin's house to confront a shamefaced Abi.
And she angrily threw down a copy of the 'Gazette exclusive' with the headline 'Local woman who abadoned baby named.' And viewers pointed out this wouldn't happen.
Journalist Roz Laws said on Twitter: "Oh please. The Weatherfield Gazette would not name Abi.
"And how the hell have they got a centre spread out of this non-story without interviewing her?"
@DavidMackayy agreed: "There’s no way they’d just randomly do a story on her without getting her side, completely ridiculous."
Roz also tweeted: "This is really annoying me now. There’s no way the paper would infringe Abi’s privacy this way.
"Another terrible depiction of newspapers by #corrie. This is damaging."
And she asked: "Why is Abi not in the least bit annoyed that the paper has named her?
"Because if she did complain, they’d have to have a storyline about how her local paper would never do this."
And @CxxPIPxx asked: "Are the media actually allowed to name the mother like that??"
After seeing Abi’s story Debbie demanded answers, assuming the baby to be Kevin’s.
But Abi hurried out, explaining the baby was having an operation, and as she waited for news she was stunned to see Kevin in the hospital corridor who took her in his arms as she broke down.
And with Kevin assuming the baby is the result of a fling with her ex Tez, Abi went along with the lie.
