It’s not a great night to be George Shuttleworth.

The local undertaker has built his entire life around one thing: professionalism. Compassion, dignity and discretion are the foundations of Shuttleworth’s, just as they were for his father before him. George takes huge pride in doing things properly, which is why the recent accusations about him profiting from a client’s will have hit him so hard.

Annie’s shock discovery that her late mum left George a sum of money has already left him rattled. He knows he’s done nothing wrong, but that doesn’t stop the sting. For someone whose reputation means everything, even the hint of impropriety is enough to keep him awake at night.

Unfortunately, his partner in life and business, Christina Boyd, doesn’t exactly handle pressure in the same way.

Where George retreats inward, Christina goes on the attack, usually armed with humour. Trying to lighten the mood, she makes a throwaway joke about George having a habit of charming his way into elderly women’s wills. In her head, it’s clearly sarcasm. A bit of humour and totally harmless.

The problem is, they’re not alone.

A potential client, Mrs Ripley, is within earshot, and she hears everything.

For George, it’s mortifying. Already stressed and defensive, he completely loses his cool. The idea that this sort of gossip could spread around Weatherfield is his worst nightmare.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, things quickly escalate when Adam Barlow delivers more grim news. He’s been hired by Annie to formally contest her mother’s will. This isn’t just angry words anymore; it’s a legal battle. Adam advises George to get his own solicitor sorted immediately.

George barely has time to process that before Christina decides to ‘fix’ the situation.

Worried that Mrs Ripley will spread rumours and sink the business entirely, Christina takes matters into her own hands. She arranges to meet Mrs Ripley and spins a sympathetic story about how devastated George is by the allegations. To really sell it, she even pretends to answer a phone call from a tearful George, painting a picture of a man crushed by false accusations and professional shame.

For a moment, it seems to be working. Mrs Ripley softens; maybe Christina has just managed to undo some of the damage.

And then, in the worst possible timing imaginable, George walks in.

It doesn’t take Mrs Ripley long to realise she’s been manipulated. There is no emotional phone call. No sobbing undertaker on the other end of the line. Just Christina, caught out mid-performance.

Her reaction is swift and icy. She makes it crystal clear she won’t be using Shuttleworth’s services and has no intention of associating herself with people she sees as dishonest. Just like that, another client is gone, and the cloud hanging over George grows even darker.

For George, it’s humiliation layered on top of anxiety. He’s trying to defend his name while preparing for a potential legal fight, and now he’s also dealing with the fallout of Christina’s well-meaning but disastrous interference.

Christina’s heart is arguably in the right place. She hates seeing George stressed and wants to protect the business. But her instinct to talk first and think later could have serious consequences.

With a contested will looming, clients beginning to doubt, and whispers threatening to spread, George’s carefully maintained reputation is suddenly on shaky ground. And in a community like Weatherfield, once people start talking, it’s very hard to make them stop.

The question now is whether George can get his ducks in a row or whether Christina’s attempt at damage control has created a crisis beyond his control.