Coronation Street boss Iain MacLeod has revealed one character is set to go in a 'high-octane' Christmas storyline...
Coronation Street is set to lose a character this Christmas, linked to the current storyline with Gary Windass at its heart, says Corrie boss Ian MacLeod.
"We’re not used to seeing death on Coronation Street at Christmas," said Iain, at a press conference in London. "It’s a tough decision, losing any character is a tough decision.
"Before you drop the guillotine you think long and hard about it. But the outcomes of the Christmas episodes are the right outcomes for the stories and justify the decision to go there.
"We’ve done cosy Christmases, and camp ones. I wanted to go for something big and cataclysmic. There’s a ton of high-octane action. It's big, exciting and a bit bonkers!" he concluded.
With Gary having fallen into a darker and darker hole since the factory roof collapse and his deathly ordeal with loan shark Rick Neelan earlier this year, the storyline will reach a fatal crescendo involving 'an antique firearm' which leaves a character dead and Gary forced to take a long hard look in the mirror and face up to how he's changed.
"Christmas will give Gary a wake up call and he’s unable to talk himself out of his guilt," explained Iain. "He will never go back to being cuddly Gary Windass – his experiences with Rick Neelan have changed him permanently.
WHAT IS ON TONIGHT? Check out our NEW and improved TV Guide
"We’re rediscovering what Gary Windass was when he came into the show. He was a ne'er do well," continued Iain. "But he has never been and never will be an out and out murderer. He never intended Rana to die. Rick he killed in self-defence and he was worried he would kill Sarah.
"Gary’s not going to to transition into a cold-blooded murderer."
Aside from Gary's deathly drama, there will be a ton of other storylines featuring among others the Platts, Robert and Michelle, the Bailey family and Rita. And plenty of Corrie humour!
Said Iain: "There’s a certain expectation of a Corrie Christmas that it will have a certain feel and warmth to it. There’s bags of that."
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
