Coronation Street spoilers: Carla is rocked by news about Peter – and it’s devastating

Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne)’s life changed in an instant in Coronation Street when he ran over and killed serial killer Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce), believing he was about to hurt Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews).

Peter wasn’t able to come to terms with taking someone’s life, and struggled to get his life back together in the aftermath. Eventually he told his AA group – with Carla Connor (Alison King) also in attendance – that he was desperate for a massive change in his life.

Carla gave him the possibility of that change, by giving him the Christmas present of a plane ticket to Spain to join a boat where he’d been offered a job. She explained she wouldn’t be joining him as she had to continue her life in Weatherfield.

There were some poignant scenes as the two discussed what their future life might look like. Peter wanted to stay in touch, but Carla reasoned that they needed to cut off communication for a while otherwise they’d end up with one of them getting on a plane to join the other, and they might be back to square one.

In a tearful farewell Peter set off, with them concluding that they were lucky their love story had ended like that rather than in anger and recrimination.

In the wake of his departure, Carla obviously found things hard without him but was sure she’d made the right decision for his sake. The person who really struggled was Simon (Alex Bain), who felt abandoned by his dad.

In upcoming episodes, Nick (Ben Price) contacts Peter to tell him that Simon is at risk of his aimless life leading him into the Institute cult that Leanne (Jane Danson) has become involved with. Wanting to help his son, Peter offers him a job working on the yacht.

Simon is excited by the new opportunity and the thought of being reunited with Peter, and he shows Carla some pictures Peter has sent him of life aboard the yacht.

Carla, who has admitted to Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) that she’s missing Peter badly, is upset to see in one of the pictures Peter has his arm around a woman.

Has he moved on already?