Coronation Street's Phill Whittaker looks set to be the reason Fiz Stape leaves Weatherfield after 21 years as the pair make a fresh start. Fiz made her first appearance in the ITV soap as a feisty teen fostered by Roy and Hayley Cropper back in 2001 and has been a part of life on the cobbles ever since despite Bury actress Jennie McAlpine, who plays her, only initially signed to appear for five episodes before being made a permanent character.
This week viewers will see the Underworld machinist and antiques dealer told by new boyfriend Phill, played by Jamie Kenna, that he can no longer afford the renovation on the new house after losing his job when he helped Maria Windass get hold of some important documents that sealed her local council victory.
READ MORE: ITV Coronation Street fans 'didn't recognise Gemma' as actress shows off different look to character
Fiz is then left further gutted when the estate agent reveals the sinkhole on the street is putting people off buying and she needs to drop the asking price. When the estate agent reveals that they've lowered the price on Tyrone's instruction, Fiz and Phill are taken aback.
Fiz thanks her ex and says she and Phill are going to move into the new house sooner and start some of the jobs themselves. But Tyrone is gutted to realise they’ll be leaving Weatherfield so soon. In scenes set to air in the ITV soap next week, Fiz gets ready to leave the street, packing the moving van with her boxes of belongings.
But she's soon seen drops a huge bombshell on Tyrone - confessing that she is worried she is making a big mistake. But learning from her past mistakes, the mechanic tells his former fiancee that she deserves a fresh start in a big house with a garden for the girls, Ruby and Hope, and is soon waving her off.
That isn't, however, the end of Fiz as we soon see her and Phil replacing her terraced house a posh Victorian home away from the close-knit community she spent most of her life alongside.
In the factory, Beth and Sean gently rib Fiz about her new house and how she’s finally landed on her feet and Fiz does her best to appear enthusiastic Later, she calls at the garage and Tyrone finally admits how much he misses her and the girls. But will that be enough to bring Fiz back to Coronation Street?
Jamie, who plays Fiz's new boyfriend Phill, took to Instagram with a selfie of the pair. "Friday feels!!" the former Green Street actor said. "Love this woman," he added with a red heart.
But she wasn't the only one he was posing with as Jamie returned to the photo-sharing social media platform with a selfie alongside Bill Fellows, who first joined the soap last year as Stu Carpenter. "Me & @fellows9690 having a glass of Sauvignon Blank enjoyed some cultured T.V. on the big screen!!" he captioned the snap which showed himself on the projector behind as Phill in Corrie.
And with them rarely, if ever, sharing scenes together, fans were pleased to see them enjoying each other's company off-screen. One, @jrr.clarke33 said: "Two great additions to coronation Street."
@sybilwycherley shared: "Love these two," as @jackieperkis joked: "Hope that’s not the wine he stole from Tracy Barlow ," referring to a moment from the long-running show which saw Stu nipping off with Tracy's expensive wine after she snubbed him in the Rovers.
