Coronation Street boss teases "huge consequences" after Stephen's downfall

Teasing what's to come after next week's instalments, MacLeod said: "It's kind of like when you watch a movie... often the movie can end, and it's the end of the film. That's that and the protagonist walks off into the sunset as the credits roll.

"But soap doesn't end. It goes on and you need to have the sequel to the movie in your heads before you've even started telling the story of the first movie."

He continued: "Yes, there are wide-ranging consequences to Stephen's exit, both emotionally, practically and criminally going forward.

"With that, you need to know what the season 2 of the TV series is before you've written season 1. So in the grand tradition of sequels, I hope what you're about to see is the Godfather: Part Two, which is one of the best sequels ever. I'm confident we've nailed this - the consequences with crimes of this scale are inevitably going to be huge.

"It's going to be an exciting few months on Coronation Street."

Speaking more about the consequences of Stephen's crimes, MacLeod added: "It's not just as simple as ‘Stephen’s done some bad stuff’. It has ripple effects across the whole street. And that's just a lot more fun to watch, isn't it really? Otherwise, it doesn't feel like a soap anymore."

"From Carla, to Peter, to Audrey, indirectly to Sarah, who's trusted this guy, he's been like a mentor and her inspiration business wise, there's a big impact on her. Michael, who's been mentored by Steven recently, the impact on him.

"He's had all of these far reaching influences on all these characters, and we just loved the idea of all of those chickens coming home to roost in this big week."

Read more:

• Coronation Street casts 90s sitcom star as Ed and Ronnie Bailey's dad
• Coronation Street killer Stephen eyes escape to Thailand with oblivious Jenny
• End of an era at The Rovers as Coronation Street locals enjoy one last party

Coronation Street airs weeknights on ITV. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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