CORONATION STREET

THE PLOT OF THE ITALIAN JOB THICKENS

Is Gail the only person who never gets given a Christmas sweater? Nothing else can explain her limited range of polo necks that look as if they’ve been copied from a knitting pattern circa 1964. Small wonder Lewis did not take up her offer of taking advantage of the empty house during his lunch break: by the time he had excavated her from the wool, the Bistro would be calling last orders.

Lewis’s plan to wreck Gail’s life is in full flow on Monday, when the family discover the relationship and Lewis tells Audrey that he and Gail are in love ( below). The news is received about as enthusiastically as hearing that Maria, rather than Audrey, is your stylist, and it pushes Gail into making a decision – she’s going to go to Italy with Lewis. Maybe she’s just thinking about finally being able to escape that woollen prison.

When Lewis learns that Nick might be the father of Kylie’s baby, he blackmai ls her into stealing Gail’s bank details. Gail, meanwhile, tells the family her plans and says that she has borrowed £40k against the house. Blimey! I couldn’t even borrow money for a Christmas turkey from my bank. And is any house on that street worth £40k? She is, however, in for a nasty shock. Looks like she won’t be getting her hands on a Cornetto after all.

Rob reckons he is man enough to take on Tracy, and on Monday, when she hands Steve the divorce papers, he asks her on a date. Does this mean that the name Rob will now take up where Tracy’s repetition of Steve left off? On Friday, she persuades him to give her a job at the factory, a decision that Carla overrules before agreeing to interview her. Interview? Can you gossip and drink pints at lunchtime are the only questions to ask.