Beth Sutherland (Lisa George) is set to ‘return’ to Coronation Street – after a fashion – as the soap airs the violent death of one of its residents.

Beth left Weatherfield last year after being blackmailed by local police officer Kit Green (Jacob Roberts).

Annoyed at being cut out of her own counterfeit clothes selling deal, Beth had demanded he let her back in, or else she’d share the details of all his dodgy behaviour to his police bosses.

Kit responded by getting her son Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) drunk, to the point where he admitted he’d helped cover up a hit-and-run committed by his ex, Faye Windass (Ellie Leach).

He then used this information to force Beth off the cobbles – telling her he’d end her career if she didn’t go for good.

But, with Craig’s time in Weatherfield (not to mention this mortal coil) seemingly numbered, Beth will return long enough to hear about her son’s death… if only over the phone.

As the week begins, Craig excitedly arrives for work, ready to shadow Kit as part of his CID placement.

However, his glee soon diminishes when Kit ignores him all day, leaving him despondent and dejected.

When he complains about the situation to DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), she tells him that he needs to prove Kit wrong.

As he’s called to investigate a local disturbance, Craig senses his chance to prove himself.

However, fate has other plans, and Craig finds himself on the receiving end of a brutal beating.

As an ambulance arrives on the scene, paramedic Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey) leaps into action, providing vital first aid for Craig.

With Craig fighting for his life, Lisa arrives, and is left shocked at the severity of his injuries. As Asha loads him into the back of an ambulance, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) explains how she came to find him.

Later, in intensive care, Lisa learns that Craig has swelling on the brain. As he regains consciousness, he tells Asha he knows what happened to him.

But, as he’s questioned by Jess Heywood (Donnaleigh Bailey), Craig’s health takes a sudden and dramatic turn for the worst.

Soon afterwards, Lisa takes a call from Jess at the hospital. Meanwhile, back on the Street, Craig’s friends attempt to comprehend the horrors of the day.

And, as shockwaves resound in the wake of a tragedy, Kirk Sutherland (Andy Whyment) calls Beth to tell her what’s happened to Craig.

Star Lisa announced news of her departure from Weatherfield last year, telling   ‘I’ve been on Corrie a long time but you know what? It’s flown. It’s really difficult to comprehend how many years I’ve been here, because it hasn’t computed at all.

‘You get so engrossed in this world and it is timeless. It feels like you’ve only been here a year or two years or something. When you think about people doing 25 years or over 50 years you can easily see how that can happen.’

The actress left the soap to pursue other roles, revealing how she feared her rare eye condition NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) – might one day leave her blind.

‘What happens if I do go blind? I still want to explore as an actress and do lots of other things,’ said the actress, who is partially blind in one eye.

She continued: ‘It was the impetus for me to see what else is out there, as I don’t want to stop any of those opportunities coming to me.’

Meanwhile, in scenes which aired August 2024, both Craig and Kirk attempted to stop Beth from leaving.

With Craig’s pleas that she stick around falling on deaf ears, Kirk rushed to her side in a last-ditch attempt to beg that she stay.

Unfortunately, neither man in her life was successful in changing her mind, and Beth departed for Norfolk, seemingly for good.