Coronation Street spoilers: Richard Hillman ‘return’, Carla diagnosis and Leanne exposed

When we say there is SO MUCH happening on Coronation Street this Christmas and New Year.

Where to even start. Christmas will air the exit of icon Gail Platt, and surrounding her farewell there’s bombshells galore. Revenge plans, affair suspicions, accidents, schemes and sad ultimatums – Corrie has it all.

We have to start with Gail, as we write spoilers about her for the last time. Helen Worth bows out in huge scenes on Christmas Day, with her wedding to Jesse Chadwick causing issues with her family.

In fact her mother Audrey Roberts is so upset she tells Gail that if she marries Jesse, she’ll never see her again. Tensions remain high for the family, and it leads to an unlikely person offering Gail advice it seems – if the latest reports are anything to go by.

The spoilers only say that an upset and exhausted Gail drifts in and out of sleep on the sofa, and has a surprise visitor. According to multiple publications though, her killer ex Richard Hillman makes a shock return for the episodes, with actor Brian Capron reprising the role after 21 years this time as a vision.

But will Richard help Gail move on and leave Corrie behind? Will her family come round to her plans, or might Gail halt them altogether and leave alone?

Gail does find out about David and Jesse laundering the cash they stole from Damon Hay, but she isn’t the only one and it means trouble for David. Across Christmas and New Year David struggles, as his lies come back to haunt him and he also believes wife Shona Platt is cheating on him.

Something leads to David suspecting Adam Barlow is the mystery man and soon he confronts Adam. But things take a brutal turn when David gets him drunk and a row ensues, and Adam tumbles down the stairs.

This could lead to the truth coming out though while it’s not confirmed. Spoilers for the following week reveal that a row breaks out between Kit Green, the man Shona has actually slept with, and David. But is it over Shona? Whatever it is, David is soon plotting against Kit, trying to get him to confess to his recent crimes.

But when Kit decides to take the law into his own hands, what will he do? Kit later warns David that he’s back on the Radcliffe brothers’ hit list, so is he involved and is David in danger?

Gail’s other son Nick Tilsley is also in big trouble, as Leanne Battersby takes her revenge against him and her sister Toyah. But by New Year it could all be resolved, as she finds her lies rumbled – and it could cost her her freedom.

After an apparent problem with the Bistro accounts, Kit arrests Toyah on suspicion of theft and fraud by abuse of trust. Toyah assures Nick and everyone that she never stole a penny, and that she believes Leanne has framed her.

Leanne then finds a way to set up Nick as well, and soon the police show up and tell Nick and Toyah that they need to ask them some questions on a fraud allegation. Kit shows Nick the account from TLH Holdings, and Nick reveals he’s never seen it before.

As things get tense, Nick is soon seeking legal advice as he searches for proof that Leanne has set him and Toyah up. Nick is later shocked when Amy Barlow accuses him of sending her flirty texts. But is this the moment he catches Leanne out? Soon it’s revealed she could face a custodial sentence if Nick doesn’t drop the charges against her.

Elsewhere, the fate of Lauren Bolton could be revealed as she remains in prison for killing Joel Deering. Lauren’s solicitor warns her that by pleading not guilty, the case will go to trial and the prosecution will rake over her unsavoury past.

Max Turner fears that by giving a guilty plea, Frankie and others will think she killed him deliberately and not in self-defence. As Lauren awaits her trial, Max keeps from her that she’ll be up against the toughest of barristers.

Also happening over the Christmas period, Bethany Platt feels confident following her harrowing botched surgery ordeal. But she’s left devastated when she fears Daniel Osbourne doesn’t want to be with her, amid his clear feelings for his ex Daisy Midgeley.

But he shocks everyone when he proposes to Bethany. Her mother Sarah Platt is concerned though when he sees Daniel speaking to Daisy, with the latter in tears. But when she demands answers, what will she be told?

There’s a worrying health diagnosis for Carla Connor weeks on from her attack, when she was hit over the head and left for dead. As she begins to display worrying symptoms, Roy Cropper panics as he finds her barely conscious on the living room floor and he calls for an ambulance.

As she’s rushed to hospital, the doctor tells Roy that he suspects Carla may be suffering from sepsis. There’s more concern ahead though, as the doctor then breaks the news to a shocked Carla that the sepsis has damaged her kidney and she may need another transplant.

Amid this, Carla has failed to tell new partner Lisa Swain about everything, and Lisa isn’t happy. Prior to this the pair seem to be on track, as the pair share a drink on New Year’s Eve and Carla tells Lisa she loves her – but does she feel the same?

There is some drama for the pair surrounding this, after a burst pipe sends Lisa and her daughter Betsy to Carla’s door with her telling them they can stay. The drama comes from Carla spotting some files relating to Lisa’s ex Becky’s death.

After this we see Lisa keen to see justice brought to the Radcliffe brothers, while she’s also injured at work after attending an urgent incident. Soon back-up his called, and we next see Lisa with a bruised face and split lip.

At the start of 2025, Lisa remains convinced Matty was involved with Becky’s death and she soon confronts him. She soon tells Mason that his brothers were driving the car that mowed Becky down.

Mason is horrified and decides to search Matty and Logan’s flat. When he heads to the police station later on with possible evidence, will he help get his brothers locked up?

Finally, Christmas and New Year sees Cassie Plummer step up her plan against Ken Barlow. After amazing him with a gift for Christmas, just days later she shocks Ken when she bursts into tears and makes out that she’s run up a huge debt buying presents for the family.

It seems she’s lying but has she got Ken fooled? Soon he’s telling her he’s feeling exhausted, so has Cassie drugged him again? Ken’s daughter Tracy Barlow is back though and she’s on to Cassie, warning her loved ones to keep an eye on her as she heads back to Spain.