Coronation Street’s Abi Webster (Sally Carman) is still in a bit of a honeymoon phase with Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), her brother-in-law and new boyfriend.
She knows he isn’t perfect – the odd dodgy MOT here and there and so on – but she’s prepared to overlook that because she thinks he’s fit.
For former drug addict Abi, Carl’s willingness to break rules and be a little bit dodgy probably only adds to his allure – he’s exciting, especially when compared to his older brother Kevin (Michael Le Vell).
As Sally Carman told us, ‘She’s been struggling with one thing or another for a very long time so this guy coming in who just adores her and fancies her and has awoken this life in her, she finds irresistible.’
But there are lines you don’t cross, and threatening the legend that is Ken Barlow (William Roache) is one of those lines.
Carl and Abi found themselves in a heap of trouble when their secret affair was rumbled by Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) and she started blackmailing them, threatening to tell Kevin about their relationship if they didn’t pay a hefty sum.
When Tracy discovered her flower shop had been trashed, she blamed Carl, only to discover that he’d spent the relevant afternoon with Debbie (Sue Devaney) in Glossop. It was later revealed that Carl had been behind this incident, only he’d got Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) to smash up the florist’s rather than do it himself.
Tracy retaliated by ringing Kevin and arranging to meet him in the pub. Worried about what this might mean, Carl video called Tracy from her own house, revealing he was there with Ken.
Scared that Carl was about to do something terrible to her dad, Tracy headed straight home. To her relief, Ken was safe and well and enjoying a drink with Carl. The incident still rattled her.
