Coronation Street’s Lou Michaelis has been facing a rough patch on the cobbles lately, following her husband Mick Michaelis’ arrest for the murder of Craig Tinker.

Soap fans will remember that an inebriated Mick, armed with a baseball bat, sought revenge on Kit Green after discovering his past affair with Lou, which raised questions about the paternity of their son Brody.

After assaulting Lou, it was Craig who bore the brunt of Mick’s fury when he pulled him over for speeding and drink-driving. Mick assaulted Craig with the baseball bat, leaving him motionless on the road as he drove away.

Sadly, Craig later succumbed to his injuries in hospital and after taking Kit and Kit’s biological mother Bernie Winter hostage, Mick was eventually apprehended.

So far, Lou has found herself ostracised by her fellow Weatherfield residents, being unwelcome at the Rovers Return Inn and even losing her job at the local hairdressers, reports Leicestershire Live.

When her card was declined at the pub, it was Gary Windass who stepped in to help, offering support to the struggling single mum.

Lou expressed her regret to Gary about Mick’s violent behaviour towards him, confessing she had been on the receiving end of such treatment many times over the years. Gary couldn’t help but sympathise with Lou, buying her a drink and lending a sympathetic ear.

However, Gary’s wife, Maria Connor, who had earlier sacked Lou, was left fuming when she saw the pair conversing.

Yet, later on, having had time to reflect, Maria apologised for her hasty judgement and reinstated Lou in her job.

After witnessing the latest interaction between Gary and Lou on the cobbles, fans of the soap are abuzz with speculation that an affair might be on the horizon for the pair.

One viewer took to Twitter, now X, to voice their prediction: “Calling it now – IF Lou is staying around long enough, I wonder if she’ll have an affair with Gary before she goes. #Corrie #CoronationStreet @itvcorrie.”

Another soap enthusiast shared their thoughts online, writing: “I think they may be pushing towards a Lou/Gary affair #Corrie #CoronationStreet @itvcorrie” while yet another chimed in with a word of caution for Gary: “Gary, don’t be going down the Lou route #corrie.”

These fan theories come hot on the heels of Coronation Street actor Mikey North’s intriguing comments about his character’s future storylines. The actor, who has been portraying Gary Windass since 2008, hinted at exciting developments involving Lou.

During his appearance on the Friday episode of Off Script… Coronation Street and Emmerdale, hosted by Kelvin and Liz Fletcher, the 38-year-old actor teased: “There’s a lot to come with Lou!” He further tantalised viewers by adding: “Lou’s got a lot to come, you’ve not seen the last of her!”