As Leanne shares plans to leave Coronation Street, spoilers confirm her soap fate
Leanne wants to leave the rainy cobbles behind
In tonight’s episode of Coronation Street (Friday, January 16), Leanne Battersby shared her wishes to leave the cobbles for pastures new.
She told Eva that she wanted to sell her share in Speed Daal and move away from Weatherfield.
Eva didn’t want to see her sister go though and gave her another option to consider. But, will Leanne leave or take Eva’s advice on board?
Leanne wants to leave Weatherfield
In tonight’s episode, Megan tried to act normal over breakfast at Roy’s with Eva and Leanne, despite having already booked a termination. While Eva wrestled with her phone (and lost), she proudly showed off a baby photo of Will that Ben had sent her – apparently a regular occurrence, though news to everyone else. Awkwardly timed, Megan’s phone pinged with an appointment notification, and nosy Leanne clocked it instantly.
Later, Eva and Leanne found Megan in floods of tears outside and finally got the truth. Megan admitted she was pregnant, that the baby was Daniel’s, and that she’d booked a termination because she wasn’t ready – especially knowing Daniel didn’t want it.
Leanne accompanied her to the appointment, where Megan revealed her fears it might be her last chance due to PCOS. Leanne reassured her with talk of miracles, IVF and adoption, but Megan went ahead.
Meanwhile, Leanne had her own epiphany. Feeling stuck at Speed Daal and lonely, she announced plans to leave Weatherfield and sell her share – until Eva floated a tempting alternative! Running the Rovers together. Escape plan… or pub pivot?
Coronation Street spoilers confirm Leanne’s fate on soap
In Coronation Street spoilers for next week, it appears as though Leanne isn’t going anywhere after all. She’s firmly on board with Eva’s idea of two sisters running the pub together and sets out to convince Maggie to let them do just that.
Leanne drops a bombshell when she casually suggests buying Maggie out of the pub, instantly igniting a blazing row with both Maggie and a stunned Eva. Determined, Leanne pushes her luck with a £160k offer, but Maggie shuts it down without hesitation.
Chaos follows when Leanne’s bag sends Maggie crashing to the floor, while Ben suddenly turns pale and clutches his chest. As panic sets in and an ambulance is called, Leanne’s bold move leaves everyone rattled.
Later, with Ben’s health hanging in the balance, the constant bickering finally stops and an uneasy truce is called. But, does this mean that Maggie Driscoll will hand over her pub shares to Leanne?
I Fought The Law on ITV: Start date, how many episodes and plot of 'inspiring' drama starring Sheridan Smith
Sheridan plays the part of Ann Ming, a mother whose daughter Julie Hogg was brutally murdered in 1989.
I Fought The Law is based on Ann's real-life fight for justice for Julie and her tireless effort to change the double jeopardy law.
Julie's killer had twice escaped jail after two juries controversial failed to find him guilty. He later confessed to the 22-year-old's murder, assuming the double jeopardy law would protect him.
The mini-series will follow how Ann battled for 15 years to ensure her daughter's murderer finally received the punishment his crime deserved.
Here's everything you need to know about I Fought The Law on ITV, including plot, cast, start date and number of episodes.
What is the plot of I Fought The Law
Like ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office, I Fought The Law is based on an inspirational true life story of a fight for justice. The script is based on Ann Ming's book, For The Love of Julie, and written by All Creatures Great and Small and Grantchester screenwriter Jamie Crichton.
It has been billed as "heartbreaking" but also "inspiring" by ITV.
A synopsis says: "I Fought The Law tells how Ann and her family dealt with Julie's disappearance in Billingham, Cleveland, in November 1989 after working her late shift at a local pizza parlour."
It continues: "Dissatisfied with Cleveland Constabulary and their investigation, Ann challenged senior officers and applied pressure on the police to discover what had happened to her daughter and to prosecute the man who was guilty of her murder.
"The drama follows Ann and her family, as they campaign tirelessly in Julie's name."
What happened to Julie Hogg?
Julie was only 22 when she was murdered. She was separated from her husband xx and mum to their three-year-old son Kevin.
After finishing her shift as a pizza delivery driver, Julie vanished. Her disappearance was initially treated as a missing person's case by police.
But 80 days later, Ann made a horrifying discovery, Despite Julie's house being searched by 29 police officers, Ann discovered her daughter's body in her bathroom behind a bath panel.
Ann later said: "To this day, I can still smell the putrefied smell which was our daughter. As a family, we are damaged beyond repair and will never be the same again as Julie will never return home."
Who killed her?
The discovery of Julie's body sparked a huge murder enquiry. Labourer Billy Dunlop was arrested and charged. Julie's keys were found under the floorboards of where Billy was living. They had Dunlop's fingerprints on them.
Dunlop went on trial twice in 1991 for murdering Julie. But twice, the jury failed to reach a verdict.
The trials had heard that Dunlop had strangled the young mum and sexually assaulted her. He had turned up at her house in the early hours after a party at a local rugby club.
Julie poked fun of injuries he had sustained in a fight earlier in the evening and he attacked her. Dunlop wrapped her body in a blanket and hid Julie behind her bath.
Dunlop was formally acquitted under a convention that prosecutors cannot ask for a third trial.
When did Dunlop admit to Julie's murder?
Ten years after his acquittal, Dunlop was in prison for an assault on another woman. He confessed to Julie's murder in the hope it would help shorten his sentence.
Dunlop was aware of the UK's 800-year double jeopardy law. He knew the rule meant anyone acquitted by jury could not be retried for the same crime.
The only thing Dunlop could be prosecuted for was perjury. This is when a person makes a false statement under oath. He was jailed for just six years.
It was following Dunlop's confession that Ann went full steam at trying to get the law changed.
