Coronation Street's Carla gives Stephen warning after forced promotion
But Carla has no idea what he's really capable of.
![22_02_coro_lucas_carla_peter_1st_ep_02 Alison King as Carla in Coronation Street.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/02/22_02_coro_lucas_carla_peter_1st_ep_02-0f58a24.jpg?quality=90&resize=980,654)
Carla Barlow (Alison King) gave devious Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) a warning in tonight's Coronation Street (27th February), after she was forced to offer him a promotion at Underworld.
Stephen recently began drugging Carla with LSD that he acquired from client Rufus, with a view to ousting her from the factory. He had learned from niece Sarah Barlow (Tina O'Brien) that Carla previously suffered from psychosis, and his aim was to gaslight her into thinking she was losing her mind.
Carla's dizziness and paranoia led her worried husband Peter (Chris Gascoyne) to urge her to take time off, and she agreed. But tonight, Stephen's scheming drew her back in when loyal employee Faye Windass (Ellie Leach) sent Carla a message, alerting her to the fact that Stephen was encouraging the shareholders to vote her out of the business.
![stephen-reid-corrie Todd Boyce as Stephen Reid in Coronation Street.](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/02/stephen-reid-corrie-b01c857.jpg?quality=90&fit=620,413)
Stephen was disappointed when the staff, including Sarah, unanimously voted for Carla to stick around, and it wasn't long before Carla arrived to confront him for his conduct. He claimed that she was overreacting and he was merely trying to help - but Carla is no fool, and she enjoyed sacking him on the spot.
Carla then made a point of thanking Faye for her handling of the situation, and settled herself back into the office with a meeting. Later, she addressed the staff and assured them that despite Stephen's meddling, the factory was not going downhill. She repeated her praise of Faye, while Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) pointed out that they had also been loyal to Carla.
More like this
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Meanwhile, Stephen made a secret phone call before agreeing to buy a flat - as friends - with Elaine Jones (Paula Wilcox). As they chatted over their plans in the Bistro, they were interrupted by Carla, who informed Stephen that Rufus had threatened to pull out of their deal unless Stephen was at the helm.
Viewers know that Rufus is being blackmailed by Stephen, which is how he managed to bring about this quick turnaround.
With no choice, Carla was forced to offer Stephen his job back. But he explained that he didn't want his old role - he wanted to be named manager, meaning he would be second in command. Carla knew she couldn't protest, but she did warn that she would be keeping her eye on him.
Will Carla be able to defeat dangerous Stephen?
Read more:
- EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale schedule changes this week
- 8 Coronation Street spoilers: Amy's horror as Aaron assaults her
Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.