Coronation Street think Carla Connor and Lisa Swain, who are known as Swarla on social media, will form part of the 65th anniversary celebrations after their engagement
Coronation Street viewers have predicted which couple will form a part of the show’s 65th anniversary celebrations.
Little is known about the upcoming milestone for the world’s longest-running TV soap, which was created by the late Tony Warren and first aired on 9 December 1960, but some fans think they know what is coming after Wednesday night’s episode.
Viewers will know that Carla Connor (Alison King), who has so far lost two husbands and divorced two more, struck up a relationship with DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) in November last year. The pair have become a fan-favourite, and are known across social media as Swarla. The engagement has been on the cards for a while, but every time Carla tried to pop the question, something went awry.
In the latest episode, Lisa decided to take matters into her own hands and enlisted Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott), who is Carla’s nephew, to act as her ‘little minion’ so she could go through with the plan. During the morning shift at Underworld, the factory girls were busy stitching knickers when police sirens blared around the Manchester backstreet. Lisa’s daughter Betsy (Syndey Martin) hurried her out of the building as her name boomed through a megaphone.
Carla stormed outside to see what was going on and the factory girls followed their boss. Lisa climbed out of the police car, slammed the door and removed her police hat. She got down on one knee and said: “Carla Connor. You have the right not to remain silent because I’ve got just one question to ask you.
“You are the most beautiful, courageous, confounding, complicated and infuriating woman I’ve ever met. And I couldn’t love you more. You would make the happiest woman on the planet if you would do me the great honour of becoming my wife.”
Carla ushered Lisa to her feet and looked her in the eye as she said: “Yes, of course I’ll flaming marry you!” and they shared a passionate kiss before Betsy and Ryan joined them for a group hug on the cobbles. The factory workers cheered and Carla and Lisa went straight to the cafe to tell Roy Cropper (David Neilson) the good news.
Roy has acted as a confidant to Carla numerous times over the years and she asked him to walk her down the aisle for the third time but things took a poignant turn when he remembered his own marriage to the late Hayley (Julie Hesmondalgh).
She took her own life amid a battle with pancreatic cancer in 2014. He told Lisa and Carla: “Marriage to Hayley was by far the most significant and fulfilling part of my life, so I wish you both the same happiness.”
Celebratory drinks in the Rovers were soon in order. A comic moment came when Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) felt the need to point out to Carla and Lisa that her daughter Sophie, who has not Seen seen on the cobbles since actress Brooke Vincent left in 2019, is also a lesbian.
Lisa replied: “Oh good! Well, if we need any pointers, we’ll know where to come,” but Sally did not seem to realise she was joking. Once she’d had a glass of champagne, Sally told the couple: “My Sophie, she says the best thing about being a lesbian is about being able to go bra shopping together!” Carla then tricked Sally into thinking one of Underworld’s suppliers did a deal on bras for lesbian couples and had Sally going for a second before she realised she was being wound up.
Following the much-anticipated engagement, fans flooded social media to share their reaction. One fan believed that Carla and Lisa could form the basis of the show’s 65th anniversary as they hoped the wedding would form part of the anniversary’s storyline. They wrote: “The proposal was lush and was totally #Swarla in every way imaginable
“Hopefully now we’ll get a winter/Xmas wedding to coincide with the 65th Anniversary in December. They’ll be drama ahead but there always is with Swarla #Corrie.” A second viewer said as they replied: “Oooooh having a swarla wedding be the episode to mark the 65th anniversary of Corrie?! IM LISTENING”
Another fan was hopeful that the wedding will also take place in December around the time of the anniversary. If the wedding does go ahead, it will be the first lesbian union in the history of the programme to make it past the ceremony: “Now can #Swarla have the first complete Lesbian wedding on #Corrie at Christmas without it ending in disaster please. We don’t want a repeat of what happened to Rana.”