Corrie star teases split for long-term couple ahead of explosive return

Clayton Hibbs is set for an explosive return to the cobbles, four years after his last appearance in Coronation Street, hinting at trouble for David and Shona Platt.

Actor Callum Harrison has reprised his role on the ITV soap as Shona’s murderous son, who was found guilty of murdering Kylie Platt in 2016 and was handed down a sentence between fifteen years to life.

Since then, the lad has remained behind bars, making a brief appearance in the show in 2020, while David (Jack P Shepherd) moved on from Kylie with Shona, Clayton’s mother, forcing the latter to treat her own son as a taboo.

“Years ago David and Shona made a pact never to speak about Clayton. She may visit him, she may not, she may think about him, she may not, we don’t ever see it on screen because they’ve promised each other they wouldn’t speak about him”, Julia Goulding, explained.

But in scenes due to air, Shona will find out her son Clayton tried to end his life in prison and, to make matters worse, she will also realise David knew all about his struggle.

During this Friday’s (November 8) instalment of the Manchester-based drama, David was sat at his laptop when he received an email from Highfield prison – a message he swiftly deleted, without mentioning it to Shona. But with secrets always coming to light in soapland, the barber will be caught up by the truth.

Shona’s world is turned upside down when she finds out Clayton has been rushed to hospital: “The police visit her at work and tell her he is in hospital. She races home in a blind panic, is upset and apprehensive to even mention Clayton in front of David”, Julia teased.

“Also they’ve got lots going on in the family”, she then added, in reference to Gail Platt’s upcoming exit from Corrie, “but seeing Clayton becomes her priority so she races to hospital. She doesn’t think twice about that.”

But when she will finally reach Clayton, the angry lad will shun her out, leaving her confused. And things will only go downhill from there: “When Shona finds out her husband has been gaslighting her and had a part in Clayton trying to take his own life, I dread to think what she’s going to do. But I don’t think she’ll take it lying down!”

Difficult times are thus ahead for David and Shona’s marriage, as Julia likened their upcoming journey to “trudging through treacle.” The soap star continued: “There’s going to be a lot of anger and pain, a possibility they could destroy each other.”

“There’s a lot of change already for David, his mum is leaving, the house might get sold, stress with the stolen money which Shona doesn’t know about yet, it’s like living in a washing machine! The sad thing is they’ve been so solid for so long Shona is David’s final crutch. But he’s destroyed it himself in my opinion. I really am Team Shona in this!”

The couple have had their fair share of obstacles in the past, their most recent fallout taking place last year, when a drunken David attempt to kiss his long-time pal Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon). But could Clayton be the last straw?