Coronation Street has welcomed a wave of new faces over the past year – but there’s a growing feeling among fans that far too many of them have arrived with bad intentions firmly in tow.
Weatherfield has never been short of drama, but lately the cobbles have felt darker than ever, packed with sinister newcomers and shocking twists. And for many viewers, it’s all starting to feel a bit much.
Corrie villains rundown
Looking back over the last year or so, it’s hard to ignore the pattern. Almost every new arrival has either quickly revealed a villainous side or turned up already carrying serious baggage.
Mick and Lou Michaelis burst onto the Street and went on to kill PC Craig Tinker, stab Kit Green and attack Gary Windass. Viewers then saw Becky Swain shock everyone by ‘returning from the dead’ and kidnapping Carla Connor. Theo Silverton abused Todd, Carl Webster framed his own sister Debbie over the Corriedale crash and tried to steal her money, while Megan Driscoll groomed Will.
Then there’s Maggie Driscoll, who murdered her husband, Will Driscoll who attacked Daniel and left him for dead, and now Jodie, who lied to Shona by stealing the story of a domestic abuse survivor and passing it off as her own.
It’s been relentless. And with Jodie being the latest addition to the villains’ list, fans have been quick to voice their frustration at just how unbalanced the show feels right now.
Coronation Street fans complain over number of villains on screen
One viewer said: “So Coronation Street have introduced ANOTHER nasty character, when are we going to get someone nice, I always used to like that Corrie whenever they had dark storylines, they always had something amusing happening to balance it out, but now that doesn’t seem to happen.”
Another agreed: “I feel the same, I commented on another post ‘Can a person just visit without becoming a villain?’ They’ve completely unbalanced the show.”
A third fan added: “Worst part is that all of the villains have not even been in Corrie for a year. First it was Mick, then Theo, then Carl, it only took February – April for all 3 of them to appear. Then you got Becky, Maggie, maybe Will as a villain or Megan, then Jodie.”
Opinion: Coronation Street needs no more villains
It’s now reached the stage where every newcomer announcement feels like it’s destined to come with a dark twist. At least, that’s certainly how it appears on screen.
Don’t get us wrong – a good soap villain is essential. But having so many prowling the Street at once just isn’t realistic, and it means storyline after storyline is weighed down by gloom, with very little room for joy or humour.
Bringing in more light-hearted characters would go a long way in balancing things out. Someone in the mould of Christina Boyd, who proved to be a brilliant addition, could help restore that classic Corrie feel. And who doesn’t love a nod back to the show’s roots?
There was a glimmer of hope that Maggie Driscoll might break the mould. Introduced as a strong, sharp-witted woman, she looked set to be an exciting presence on the Street. But once again, that optimism was short-lived, as she arrived complete with a murderous past and helped her son Will cover up a near-fatal attack on Daniel Osbourne.
It’s time for a change. Give us a newcomer who makes us laugh, offers a breather from the darkness, and doesn’t have a trail of skeletons rattling in their closet. Just for once, let someone turn up on the cobbles and simply be… nice.
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Coronation Street usually airs Monday-Friday at 8.30pm on ITV.
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