A new year has dawned on the cobbles, which can only mean one thing – Coronation Street is gearing up for another huge twelve months of drama. And if early hints are anything to go by, 2026 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster for Weatherfield fans.
There’s still the fallout from Corriedale to come, including the devastating loss of Billy, and just as viewers start to think the worst might be over, Corrie has another major shock lined up. A tantalising flashforward will confirm that someone has died on the Street – but the identity of the victim will remain a mystery for now.
It all adds up to a gripping year ahead, and Coronation Street producer Kate Brooks has been teasing what’s to come. We caught up with her for an exclusive preview of the big storylines heading our way in 2026 – and there’s plenty to get stuck into.
Todd and Theo’s toxic relationship
Todd’s world is left in pieces following Billy’s death, and that only tightens Theo’s hold over him. With Billy gone, Todd has lost the one person helping him see a way out – and it leaves him vulnerable.
“He’s very wrapped up in his grief, post Billy’s death,” Kate explains. “Todd’s all over the shop. He doesn’t feel like he’s got the strength to go through with leaving Theo. He’s feeling really worthless.”
Theo, meanwhile, is consumed by his own guilt after leaving Billy to die – but instead of facing up to what he’s done, he twists it to his advantage.
“Theo is obviously ravaged by his own guilt,” Kate continues. “He did something absolutely despicable, but he justifies it as being absolutely necessary to keep hold of Todd. We’ll see Theo become more manipulative, we’ll see him pull Todd back into his fold because Todd needs him. He needs that support.”
And this is far from a short-lived storyline.
“This is not something that’s wrapped up after a couple of months,” Kate warns. “This is ongoing, and we will continue to tell the story about this domestic abuse truthfully and realistically.”
There is hope on the horizon though.
“Todd will start to realise that maybe all is not what it seems,” Kate teases. “As will other people around Todd. They will realise that he’s not behaving how he should be behaving…”
Here’s hoping Todd finally gets the ending he deserves.
Debbie’s torment
Debbie enters 2026 under a cloud, with Carl’s shocking actions after the crash leaving her facing the fallout. Unaware that her brother dragged her into the driver’s seat while she was unconscious, Debbie is riddled with guilt and confusion.
“She doesn’t know really what happened and she doesn’t know that Carl has interfered and swapped places with her,” Kate explains. “She really struggling with that and she wants to face the punishment.”
As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also dealing with the emotional wreckage of her disastrous wedding, family secrets being exposed, and her dementia diagnosis.
But there’s reassurance that the Debbie fans know and love is still very much there.
“Even though there’s drama aplenty, she’s still Debbie,” Kate says. “Her heart’s still there.”
Bernie will be tested in Coronation Street 2026
Bernie is another character facing a painful year ahead, as buried grief starts to resurface.
“She’s buried a lot of grief,” says Kate. “So we wanted to kind of explore what would happen if she had to deal with another death, another really tragic death, and how that grief manifests.”
It’s set to be a major storyline for Bernie, with Roy Cropper also playing a key role.
“It’s a big story for Bernie,” Kate confirms. “And Roy’s involved in that story as well.”
Megan gets even more manipulative
The disturbing storyline involving teacher Megan and teenager Will will continue to escalate in 2026 – and it’s about to pull Sam into the firing line.
“Sam gets wind that something’s amiss,” Kate reveals. “And we will see the lengths that Megan will go to to manipulate Sam and to keep him quiet. It will be massively detrimental to Sam.”
Thankfully, Sam isn’t alone. Eve, Leanne and Toyah are all ready to step in.
“You’ve got these three very strong, very fiery women, sisters, whose boys have been manipulated by Megan,” Kate says. “This woman who they considered their friend…”
It’s safe to say Megan’s days look numbered.
Driscoll drama in Coronation Street 2026
There’s more intrigue on the way for the Driscoll family too, with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment already hinting at secrets to come.
“There was this very small beat that some eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted where we saw Maggie at number one,” Kate recalls. “She looked into the cabinet and her reaction suggested that she saw something that made her feel slightly on edge or uncomfortable.”
And that’s just the start.
“We will reveal what that secret is in the coming months, but it is just the tip of the iceberg!”
Seeing the future
While Coronation Street usually keeps things fairly traditional, 2026 will see the show experiment with a brief flashforward to set up a huge spring and summer storyline.
“This is something that’s been in the making for a really long time,” Kate explains. “It gives us a destination for our current big stories to all come together and be involved in a much bigger storyline.”
The headline twist? A death on the cobbles.
“One of our characters has found a dead body on the street, and we don’t know who it is,” Kate teases. “There are five potential victims and we will take the audience on a journey for them to try and figure out who that body is and what happened.”
It’s less about who did it – and more about who it happened to.
“It will involve an awful lot of the community,” Kate adds. “Everyone’s affected by the story. And there are so many twists and so many turns.”
Viewers will only get a glimpse of events a few months ahead, with the flashforward showing a police interview that gives context but not answers.
We know one thing for sure – 2026 in Weatherfield is shaping up to be unmissable.
Read more: Coronation Street fans predict Debbie is Carl’s real mum in surprising twist
Coronation Street usually airs Monday-Friday at 8.30pm on ITV.
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