Next week sees the return of Audrey Roberts' son Stephen Reid to Coronation Street after 15 years as fears about her drinking reach crisis point. Rita Tanner finds Audrey in the Rovers, enjoying her first drink of the day and she suggests it’s time Audrey went back to work.
Grandson David Platt despairs as Audrey announces she’s returning to work, before cracking open the wine and flirting with Ryan Connor. David asserts it’s time Audrey went home, but as she heads for her coat, she trips and is sent sprawling across the floor.
Arriving to find a tipsy Audrey playing table football with Ryan, Maria insists she go home but Audrey refuses. At her wit’s end Gail tries to talk some sense into Audrey.
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But when her worried daughter raises the subject of her drinking, Audrey hits the roof and announces she’s moving back home. Then at the barbers Audrey staggers into the motorbike which falls and knocks her over as she cries out for help.
Audrey lies motionless in the barber’s having been there all night. A passing Brian Packham and Elaine Jones hear a weak cry coming from inside. As Brian hurries off to fetch help, Audrey's son Stephen Reid emerges from a taxi.
Breaking down the door Stephen, who was last on our screens in 2007, is shocked to find his mum barely conscious. Meanwhile the Platts have called a family meeting to discuss Audrey’s drink problem with recovering alcoholic Peter Barlow.
As they debate Peter’s advice, Brian dashes in with the news that an ambulance is outside for Audrey, who’s in a bad way. Stephen’s furious with the family for failing to notice that Audrey was missing all night.
As he leaves for the hospital in the ambulance with Audrey, Gail’s sick with guilt and worry. Meanwhile there's a catfish drama for David's son Max Turner.
As Max prepares for his date he receives a message from newcomer Sonya asking him to send her a picture so she can see what to expect. Max is stunned but returns home unbuttoning his shirt.
Over dinner a perplexed Sonya reveals that she’s never received any messages from him nor sent any back. Max and Sonya are horrified to realise someone has set them up.
Outside Max’s phone pings with a message demanding £1,000 or his naked picture goes viral. David reaches a decision and tells Max that they won’t be paying the blackmailer and he’s to go to school and front it out, but at the bus stop, Chris and Blake take the mickey out of Max, quoting his messages to Sonya.
Elsewhere on Corrie Ken Barlow and grandson Simon are concerned when Peter resolves to get twisted surgeon Henry Thorne to confess to malpractice. Meeting Thorne he demands a full confession and apology. But Thorne susses his game and forces Peter to produce his phone which is recording.
And Eileen Grimshaw despairs as George Shuttleworth continues to ignore his former school bully Frank Bardsley. Having got the lowdown from his mum, Todd tells George they need to expose Frank.
