CORONATION Street star Sally Carman has revealed all about Abi Webster’s upcoming affair with brother-in-law Carl.

The actress – who plays mechanic Abi in the ITV soap – has opened up about the beginning of the new storyline after actor Jonathan Howard made his debut as Carl last night.

The very flirty scenes saw sparks fly between Abi and Carl but married Abi being horrified to discover the man she flirted with is in fact her husband’s brother.

And with husband Kevin battling testicular cancer at the moment, she is particularly vulnerable.

“They had this shock meeting where they ran into each other in the car park and there was instant electricity, a spark,” explained Sally.

“Then he turned up in her life and turned out to be Kevin’s brother, which was gutting because he’d awakened something in her.

“I think with Abi, with her being an addict, there was that rush, that adrenaline that she hasn’t had for a very long time. It completely turned her from red to blue.”

Viewers watched as Abi tried to shut Carl down after discovering who he was – but it’s going to be a tough battle for her.

“Well, she wanted to shut it down because it would just devastate everything,” Sally added.

“She’s been given this whole life with Kevin, the kids are secure, she’s got a child now who’s safe and she’s all sorted.

“Her life is calm and loving, and that is something she’s craved for. But a massive part of who Abi is is dangerous.

“There’s the addiction element; she thrives on risk-taking and danger. That part of her life, which was dormant, has now come up.

“There’s like an animal inside her and she’s absolutely fighting this with everything she’s got.

“She’s thinking of the kids, she’s thinking also of what she’s got with Kevin and what they’ve got really works.

“They do love each other but she’d forgotten what it was like to feel alive. So she just wants Carl to go in the hope that that feeling will disappear.”

However with Kevin pushing her away while he faces the fight for his life, Abi may be tempted to his younger brother.

Sally said: “She’s been struggling with one thing or another for a very long time so this guy coming in who just adores her and fancies her and has awoken this life in her, she finds irresistible.

“It’s going to be very hard for Abi to fight this.”

Coronation Street’s Abi Webster (Sally Carman-Duttine) is set to have her head turned by brother-in-law Carl (Jonathan Howard) next month.

Last year, producer Kate Brooks teased the newbie’s arrival, saying: ‘We’ve got Carl Webster coming into the show, who is Debbie (Sue Devaney) and Kevin’s (Michael Le Vell) brother, to build up that Webster clan.

‘We’ve got big stories coming up for Debbie and Kevin. It’s about building that clan up. For me, the Websters, Barlows and Platts are the big clans.’

The character has been mentioned on a number of occasions over the years, but has yet to make an appearance.

Carl shares a dad – Bill – with Debbie and Kevin, though the siblings have a different mum. He’s also grown up in Germany, where he was born in 1986.

It has now been confirmed that he will make his first appearance on April 11th, when he clashes with Abi over a car parking space.

Before long, sparks begin to fly and the pair find themselves in a passionate embrace – both blissfully unaware of the family connection.

It’s been a tough old year for Abi, having faced horrific hallucinations of her late son Seb in the wake of Mason Radcliffe’s (Luca Toolan) death, and later discovering that Kevin has testicular cancer.

  also revealed that Debbie is set to be diagnosed with dementia, a storyline that will ultimately end Sue Devaney’s time on the show.

‘Carl is Kevin and Debbie Webster’s little brother, they have different mums so he’s a bit younger than they are’ star Jonathan explained.

‘He comes into Weatherfield to ostensibly be with his brother because he’s found out he’s got cancer but then we’ll discover Carl’s got some money issues back in Germany where he’s been living.’

He continued: ‘I don’t think Carl is going to be too bad but I don’t think he’s going to be good either, I think his heart is in the right place but he might be holding on to some resentment towards his brother because he’s left him to be on his own his whole life.’

‘He’s maybe a little bit selfish, especially between his trousers sometimes!’

How will Kevin feel about having his little bro in Weatherfield, and especially when (this is soapland, it’s bound to happen) he discovers the affair?

Carl is swanning onto the cobbles alongside two other new faces over the next month.

Jason Callender is set to arrive next week, taking over the role of footballer James Bailey.

‘James is determined, whatever he puts his mind to he absolutely goes for it’ he explained.

‘He’s a little brother so expect little brother pranks but more than anything he loves his family and he really wants to be a dad.’

Fans will undoubtedly remember that Nathan Graham was the original actor to play James between 2019 and 2022.

The trio is rounded off with another new face,as former Tracy Beaker and The Archers star James Cartwright will play Theo Silverton, a new love interest for Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce).