Episode 10234 (27th January 2021)

## Plot

**Part One:** Carla tells Peter that if he wants to show Simon how much he loves him, he should give up drinking but he's livid that she's taken away the chance he had to explain things on his terms. As she calls him a coward, he walks out. In front of Abi, Debbie tells DS Tyler that she found Abi unconscious on the bistro floor, thought she'd overdosed, so called an ambulance. Abi backs her up, saying she saved her life. Gail and George are thrilled to realise they share a set of great-great grandparents, Fanny and Augustus Page. Ken finds Simon tearful in Victoria Gardens. Carla finds them and Ken hears about the letter. He labels Carla cruel for reading it out. Paul tells Ajay and Todd how nervous he is about his court hearing on Monday. Ajay is decluttering his flat and has a piano going spare but Billy refuses to entertain the idea of having it. Ken, Simon and Carla search for Peter but Simon claims to be unsympathetic to his dad's problems and says he deserves to die alone. He cries to himself. Abi demands that Debbie tries again to give the garage back to Kevin. Aggie and Grace paint on smiles for Michael's sake as they prepare for dinner. Mary and Eileen call at the Rovers and are unimpressed to see George fawning over Gail. When she gets a chance, Mary tries to warn her off him, dramatically saying he will rip her heart out. Ken finds Peter drinking at the Chariot Square Hotel. He tries to prevent them serving his son and they argue over each other's selfishness. Peter punches his father to the ground when he tips his whisky away.

**Part Two:** George is unnerved as Mary gives him death stares across the pub. Eileen and Gail embark on a slanging match and George wonders what he's got himself into. Debbie persuades Kevin to let her sign the garage back to him, telling him that he can also keep the £90,000 that he was paid. Peter apologises to Ken, full of remorse for hitting him on the anniversary of Val's death. He admits he wants to give up the booze but doesn't know how. Debbie rings Ray and tells him that the development is now officially over, and she should soon have enough money to send him to Turkey. He's bitter that he's got nothing left while she has everything. With Michael out of the room, Aggie and Grace wonder how on earth they're going to keep up the façade of friendliness. Kevin is puzzled why Abi is suddenly taking Debbie's side and putting all the blame on to Ray. Ken brings Peter home. He refuses to let a waiting Carla into the house. Ken tells her of the damage she caused on the fiftieth anniversary of Val's death.

## Cast

### Regular cast

* Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
* Gail Rodwell - Helen Worth
* Carla Connor - Alison King
* Michael Bailey - Ryan Russell
* Paul Foreman - Peter Ash
* Todd Grimshaw - Gareth Pierce
* Aggie Bailey - Lorna Laidlaw
* Grace Vickers - Kate Spencer
* George Shuttleworth - Tony Maudsley
* Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls
* Mary Taylor - Patti Clare
* Billy Mayhew - Daniel Brocklebank
* Abi Franklin - Sally Carman
* Debbie Webster - Sue Devaney
* Simon Barlow - Alex Bain
* Ken Barlow - William Roache
* Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver
* Kevin Webster - Michael Le Vell
* Ray Crosby - Mark Frost

### Guest cast

* Ajay Dewan - Harki Bhambra
* DS Tyler - Martin Walsh

## Places

* Coronation Street
* Rovers Return Inn - *Public*
* 1 Coronation Street - *Back room, kitchen, hallway and yard*
* 3 Coronation Street - *Downstairs rooms*
* 13 Coronation Street - *Back room/kitchen and hallway*
* Webster's Autocentre
* Viaduct Bistro - *Restaurant and office*
* Victoria Gardens
* Speed Daal
* Chariot Square Hotel - *Bar*
* Debbie Webster's flat - *Living room/kitchen*

## Notes

* Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was made with social distancing rules being observed by both cast and production crew, even when they were playing family members or people who shared residences.
* Two mentions are made of the death of Valerie Barlow which occurred in Episode 1047 (27th January 1971), precisely fifty years to the day since the transmission of this episode.
* Sarah Franzl was credited as the stunt co-ordinator on this episode with Pete Ford as the stunt double for the scene where Peter Barlow punches his father.
* *TV Times* synopsis: Ken picks up the pieces when Carla's plan backfires; and Debbie tries to make amends to Kevin.
* Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast: 5,802,652 viewers (13th place).

## Notable dialogue

Eileen Grimshaw (to George Shuttleworth): "You know, it's a shame you two didn't meet sooner. Gail could have put a lot of business your way, the amount of husbands she's buried."