In a chilling new twist on Coronation Street, predatory athletics coach Megan Walsh appears to be targeting a fresh victim, while a ghost from her past threatens to expose her sinister secret.
A Web of Manipulation and Control
The storyline, which has horrified and captivated viewers, centres on Megan Walsh, played by Beth Nixon. She has been systematically grooming underage schoolboy Will Driscoll, portrayed by Lucas Hodgson-Wale. Abusing her position of trust, Megan has manipulated the teenager into believing he is in a consensual relationship with her. In reality, her actions are all about control, forcing Will to lie to his father Ben Driscoll and stepmother Eva Price.
To cement her power and provide a perfect cover, Megan has begun dating the school's headmaster, Daniel Osborne. This move, which drives Will into a jealous frenzy, gave her legitimate access to the school after Daniel secured her a job there. The situation escalated dramatically on Boxing Day, when Will, consumed by jealousy, brutally attacked Daniel from behind and left him for dead. The only witness was Will's grandmother, the formidable Maggie Driscoll.
A Pregnancy Shock and a Face from the Past
The plot thickens as Megan's manipulations begin to unravel. In upcoming episodes, she tells Will she is going away, worrying the teenager who asks if she is ill. This question becomes loaded with meaning after Daniel discovered a pregnancy test in her bag. Given that Megan took Will's virginity on his sixteenth birthday, there is a fifty-fifty chance he could be the father if she is pregnant.
Meanwhile, a mysterious new character is set to arrive on the cobbles with an unsettling connection to Will. In scenes airing next week, Will strikes up a conversation with a fellow athlete named Lee, who reminds him they used to race against each other in Hull. When Will is distracted, Lee calls Megan, and her reaction is one of clear panic and displeasure. This strongly suggests that Lee might be a previous victim of Megan's grooming, a theory teased earlier in the week when Megan was rattled by a call from an unknown number.
Jealousy, Lies, and Impending Exposure
As Megan tries to maintain her double life, the pressure mounts. Will, unable to bear seeing her with Daniel, implores her to end the relationship. Megan promises to try, but during a dinner at the bistro, Daniel confesses his strong feelings for her. When Daniel suggests reporting Will for harassment, Megan dismisses it as a simple schoolboy crush, quickly changing the subject.
The walls are closing in, however. In a tense moment, Will takes Lee back to the pub, much to Megan's visible alarm. She arranges to meet Lee in a backstreet ginnel, raising urgent questions about their history. With Will's jealousy becoming increasingly volatile and a potential previous victim now on the scene, Megan's house of cards looks set to collapse. The question remains: will her predatory behaviour be exposed before she claims another victim?
