Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod has given extensive teasers about what's to come on the soap in early 2022 - and it looks as if Sarah (Tina O'Brien) and Adam (Sam Robertson) will face rocky times ahead.
In recent months the pair have decided to try for a baby, but their plans could be thrown off course by the arrival of Lydia (Rebecca Ryan), Adam's ex from his university days.
Lydia's motives are still unclear but MacLeod has hinted that the storyline will take a "nightmareish" turn along the lines of the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction.
"Lydia is Adam's ex and will be a threat to his marriage to Sarah – or to put it more accurately, she is the catalyst for them destroying their own relationship," he told reporters.
"There's lots of secrecy, scheming and intelligent subterfuge, everyone is capable of behaving badly.
"We wanted an updated version of those '80s and '90s thrillers like Fatal Attraction. Looking back they're horribly dated in terms of the gender politics, so what would it look like as a 21st century story with no vilification of the 'scorned woman'?
"It culminates in an exciting pay-off in the first six months. It starts small and even humorous with Adam and Sarah as they take pot shots, but gradually it becomes more nightmareish."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
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