In a dramatic early release available on ITVX and YouTube, Coronation Street has delivered explosive scenes as predator Megan Walsh takes decisive action to protect her dark secret, while young Sam Blakeman finds himself dangerously close to the truth about her systematic abuse of schoolboy Will Driscoll.
Megan's Web of Deception Unravels
The episode, which airs on television on Monday January 26 but is already available through digital platforms, reveals Megan Walsh's increasingly desperate attempts to maintain her facade. Played by Beth Nixon, the character has been grooming Will Driscoll, portrayed by Lucas Hodgson-Wale, over an extended period, having initially been his sports coach at his previous school in Hull before following him to Weatherfield.
Megan now works as a teacher at Weatherfield High while continuing to coach Will, creating the perfect cover for her predatory behaviour. Will remains tragically unaware of the criminal nature of their relationship, believing himself to be in a genuine romantic partnership with Megan, even after discovering she's pregnant with his child.
Sam's Discovery and Megan's Response
The tension escalates when Sam Blakeman, played by Jude Riordan, becomes suspicious after overhearing a conversation between Will and Lee, another boy from Hull who reveals he too had a sexual relationship with Megan a year earlier. Rather than accepting the truth, Will defends Megan aggressively, warning Lee that such accusations could send her to prison.
Sam's suspicions are confirmed when he spots a tracksuit top in Will's flat that Megan had previously claimed belonged to her official boyfriend, Daniel Osbourne. Confronting Will directly, Sam asks if he's having a sexual relationship with Miss Walsh, emphasising the illegal nature of the situation and expressing his willingness to report Megan to another teacher.
Will's horrified reaction and pleas for silence prompt him to immediately inform Megan about Sam's discovery. Megan responds with chilling calculation, nervously noting they've covered their tracks before adding ominously, "Unless they check the CCTV at various hotels in Bury and Rochdale."
The Threat Escalates
Later at Speed Daal, Megan approaches Sam while he's sitting alone. Initially employing her usual defence about boys developing crushes on her, she quickly shifts tone when this fails to reassure him. Claiming she and Will have known each other for years and can laugh about such suspicions, Megan then delivers a thinly-veiled threat.
"If anyone thought that Sam's allegations were serious it wouldn't be funny," she insists, demanding confirmation that he understands the implications. With all traces of her normal pleasant demeanour vanished, she mutters "A star for Blakeman" as she leaves, revealing the true menace beneath her teacherly exterior.
Dark Times Ahead for Sam
Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks has confirmed that this confrontation marks only the beginning of Sam's ordeal. "We will see the lengths that Megan will go to manipulate Sam into keeping quiet," Brooks revealed. "It'll be massively detrimental to Sam's wellbeing."
The storyline continues to explore the devastating impact of grooming and abuse, with Megan maintaining her relationship with Daniel Osbourne as cover while systematically exploiting vulnerable young men. The appearance of Lee has established that Will is not Megan's first victim, suggesting a pattern of predatory behaviour that may extend further than currently revealed.
As the digital early release allows fans to see these dramatic developments ahead of the television broadcast, the stage is set for further explosive confrontations in Weatherfield, with Sam now firmly in Megan's sights as she fights to protect her terrible secrets.
