Uh oh.
Coronation Street’s Audrey Roberts is in for a shock double-betrayal next week – and it’s going to have long-lasting effects in Weatherfield.
The hair salon owner is left stunned when she finds out that Maria Connor has set up a secret hairdressing business in her flat – and is undercutting her prices, stealing her regular clients.
And while Maria still technically works for Audrey, Tracy Barlow is so impressed with her work that she encourages her to keep the secret appointments up.
Audrey’s suspicions are raised one day and she heads up to the flat…where she finds her own daughter, Gail, availing of Maria’s cheaper prices.
Safe to say, she’s far from happy with either of them.
According to Digital Spy, the storyline will also re-introduce Claudia Colby (Rula Lenska), who will offer Maria the chance to run one of her salons – provided she can find the cash to franchise it.
Samia Longchambon, who plays Maria, told the publication that it all begins after her character feels undervalued at work.
She explained:
“She’s been at the salon for so many years and she feels like she’s been doing all the work recently, because Audrey’s been off having her ladies’ lunches, David has been preoccupied and Bethany has too.
“So it’s just been all down to Maria and she’s not really been getting much credit for it.”
She also opened up about how Tracy ended up being a “catalyst” for all of the drama – and how the scenes unintentionally turned hilarious.
She continued:
“Tracy gets wind of Maria giving Angie a haircut in the salon flat and starts blackmailing her, saying: ‘I’m going to tell Audrey unless you do my hair in your flat’. So it’s Tracy who’s a catalyst for it all, because she then points out that Maria could make a fortune doing this.
“Audrey then finds out that Maria has been doing everyone’s hair, including Gail’s, which doesn’t go down well! She walks in as Gail is sitting there with foils in her hair.
“[Audrey] goes mental. She goes absolutely off her head. Sue [Nicholls, who plays Audrey] has just been brilliant in it. It’s not meant to have been funny, but it’s just been hysterical.”
Following their spat, Audrey is set to tell Maria she has to leave the flat – and things manage to get even more awkward.
Samia admitted that Maria does worry Claudia’s offer will cause more issues with Audrey, but “I think Maria just really wants to go for it, because by that point it’s got so sour with Audrey.”
She continued:
“Audrey is chucking her out of the flat and everything, so at that point, Maria has got nothing to lose.
“Just when Claudia offers Maria the chance to franchise the salon, Audrey comes in The Rovers and says, ‘I’ve been a bit harsh on you, I admit it. You don’t have to move out of the flat’.
“But just as she says that, Claudia comes in and says: ‘Ooh, we’re going into business together!’ So it’s one step forward and two steps back.”
