Coronation Street fans see Mal Roper’s sinister behaviour reach new heights tonight – as he leaves Bernie Winter-Alahan terrified at the café. But how long will it take before the local residents find out about his creepy conduct?
Monday’s episode sees poor Bernie left alone and vulnerable, as her husband Dev and stepdaughter Asha head off for a short break together. The timing couldn’t be worse, as Mal is continuing to cross the line with his inappropriate advances towards Bernie.
In this evening’s scenes, it’s a slow day for customers at the café as Roy heads off to the bank. Bernie is uneasy as she’s left totally alone with Mal.
Mal takes this opportunity to declare his feelings for Bernie, but he alarms her by locking the café door so he’s not interrupted.
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When Bernie firmly rejects him, Mal turns nasty by subjecting her to a vile rant – which shows just how deluded he is over their recent interactions.
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Later, things only get worse for Bernie as she makes a disturbing discovery back at home. She spots that someone has cut her head out of her wedding picture and flees the house in fear. Has Mal broken in?
This may not be one of Corrie‘s longer-running storylines, as show bosses have previously warned that a brutal form of justice is on the way for Mal within a matter of days.
Wednesday’s episode (25 February) features a major turning point in the storyline, as Bernie breaks her silence about Mal’s ongoing torment.
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When Bernie’s son Kit Green finds her in a state at the Alahan house, she confides in him about the secret encounter she had with Mal in his hotel room – and his unacceptable actions since then.
Later, Roy finally throws Mal out of the café after the villain publicly confronts Bernie, which exposes his true colours at last.
When Dev returns from his trip in the same episode, Bernie also decides to confide in him about what’s going on.
“This is stalker territory,” Jane Hazlegrove, who plays Bernie, recently explained. “She thinks at that point: ‘The only way for me to get away from this is to finally come clean to Dev about the kiss’.
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“Then everything is laid out, isn’t it? She’s being fully transparent finally, it has taken weeks and weeks on end, but it is the only option open to her.
“She knows that if Dev knows what Mal has been up to, it will all be okay. It takes away Mal’s power, he’s got no power whatsoever. Because that’s what he’s been blackmailing her with.”
By Thursday’s episode (26 February), shocking news spreads throughout the community as it’s revealed that Mal has been attacked. After being found lying helplessly in the street with a head injury, Mal is rushed to hospital.
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Suspicion immediately falls on Bernie, who’s been repeatedly threatening Mal to stay away from her. But is she to blame, or did somebody else intervene to protect her?
“It’s not a good look because she’s been heard threatening him,” Jane added. “She is definitely going to be under suspicion so in the end telling Dev has not made it go away. If anything, things have got worse…”
