Roy Cropper has been happily exchanging messages with a woman named Alice in Coronation Street – but there’s one major catch. He’s never actually met her.
And after tonight’s episode (Wednesday, January 21), Nina and Kit are seriously worried that Alice might not be who she says she is…
Let’s just say Roy is in for a massive shock next week – and it’s very much Alice-shaped.
Nina raises catfish fears over Roy in Coronation Street
Viewers know Roy has been enjoying writing to Alice for some time now. She’s the mother of one of the inmates in the prison penpal scheme.
They bonded over shared interests and the pain of losing their partners, with their thoughtful exchanges developing into a warm friendship. But things took a turn when Alice’s messages began to hint at romance.
Roy quickly clocked that Alice might be getting the wrong idea, and when Nina repeatedly suggested this week that he had feelings for her, he became defensive. Still, after Carla gently reminded him that Hayley would want him to find happiness again, Roy decided to stay open-minded and give Alice a chance.
That was until Kit and Nina voiced their concerns tonight, warning Roy that Alice could be a catfish. Roy brushed it off with a joke, saying he’d just have to ask for her ID to prove she was real.
Trying to reassure Nina, Roy insisted Alice was genuine, pointing to her detailed and quirky jokes – including stories about finding foreign currency in her pockets – as proof she was the real deal.
Case closed? Not quite.
The scene then cut to a man holding ‘Alice’s’ phone, reading the messages Roy had sent…
Coronation Street spoilers hint at Alice twist as newcomer Mal arrives
Next week’s Coronation Street spoilers reveal Roy preparing to finally meet Alice in person. But the date quickly goes off the rails when Roy discovers that Alice is already married – a detail she very much left out of their correspondence.
Enter mysterious newcomer Mal. After sharing drinks with Bernie at the hotel and bonding over their own experiences of grief and loss, Mal later turns up at Roy’s Rolls with a bombshell revelation.
He claims to be Alice’s husband.
Yes, the very same Alice Roy has been messaging and planning to meet. Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it.
But is Mal telling the truth? Is Alice real at all? Or has Roy been catfished from the start, with Mal pulling the strings behind the scenes?
There are plenty of unanswered questions, but one thing is clear – Alice hasn’t been completely honest with Roy, and the fallout is only just beginning.
Read more: Coronation Street star Tanisha Gorey announces engagement to boyfriend in loved-up social media post
Coronation Street usually airs Monday-Friday at 8.30pm on ITV.
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