Coronation Street has revealed Theo Silverton’s next sinister plan to sabotage Todd Grimshaw’s happiness amid the abuse storyline. The couple recently split, though Theo’s manipulative ways are still apparent, with the villain targeting Todd’s marathon plans in his latest attempt at control.

Opening up about the break-up, actor James Cartwright admitted that it is actually “disingenuous” and a plot to regain “control in itself”.

“The last thing Theo wants to do is break up with Todd, but he’s seizing control,” he explained. “Also I think there’s probably a perverse pleasure in seeing how miserable it makes Todd, because that shows how much he loved him.

“It’s an achievement in his warped mind, another part of his sort manipulation. It’s a plan. There’s no other way around that. He sensed that Todd was going to break up with him and he got in there first, so that he had the upper hand.

“From then on in, he’s just been doubling down on it and making Todd question whether he’s done the right thing while he turns on the supercharm offensive and plays the wounded animal. He’s got his hooks into Todd and it’s all about trying to reel him in.”

Amid his jealousy over seeing Todd speak with James Bailey at the Bistro about his marathon, Theo slips drugs into his ex’s drink as Todd goes off to take a phone call.

In the aftermath next week, Todd misses the start of the marathon as a result of the drugging, unaware of the truth and under the belief that he overslept.

James noted that Theo’s horrid actions create “a need for himself to support Todd”, adding that he has gone from “an opportunist” to “master manipulator”, descending into something that is “very, very cruel now”.

“He’s just completely lost sight of any moral compass, there’s absolutely no moral fibre left in the man,” he said. “He’s completely driven by his narcissism, and he just cannot now let Todd go.

“He thinks it’s love, he thinks it’s all for the best. He doesn’t see that what he’s doing is wrong, but from the outside, you realise he’s become a monster now. He’s a total monster.”

The star further noted that Theo creates “a feeling that no one else would understand you” and “keeps breaking Todd down so that Todd feels so low, and alienated, that the only person who can support him is Theo”.

“He’s alienated all Todd’s friends and he just feels so lost and alone that he’s created the perfect conditions for Theo to swoop in and save the day.”