Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street viewers were left stunned on Thursday night (21 May) as Summer Spellman was arrested on suspicion of murder – but will this dramatic twist really lead to actress Harriet Bibby leaving the ITV soap?
Summer’s world came crashing down after DS Lisa Connor-Swain finally caught up with her over the murder of Theo Silverton. The threat of arrest has loomed over Summer ever since Theo was found dead, given their complicated history.
Theo’s abuse of Todd and his role in Billy’s death already gave Summer a strong motive for revenge, but it was her brooch found in Theo and Todd’s former flat that placed her firmly on the police radar.
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Thursday’s episode opened with Summer already struggling under the pressure. While visiting Roy’s Rolls, she overheard Christina discussing the possibility she could be arrested for murder.
Although Christina insisted she didn’t believe Summer was actually capable of killing Theo, the conversation was enough to spook Summer, who decided that her only option was to leave Weatherfield before the police could get to her.
Little did Summer know that the authorities were already on her tail after George Shuttleworth informed DS Connor-Swain that he had seen Summer lurking around Theo and Todd’s former flat on the night that Theo died. That revelation pushed Summer to the top of the suspect list despite throwing the police off her scent during her police questioning.
Without wasting any time, however, Summer packed her belongings and prepared to leave for America – where she’s previously studied – hoping to escape before things spiralled. But her plan quickly unravelled when Todd caught her red-handed and begged her to rethink the decision.
Summer finally explained why she was anxious to get away, revealing she’d tried to hire Carl Webster to help her get rid of Theo and claimed that it would be enough for her to be considered as a suspect for the murder, despite her innocence.
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The emotional confrontation intensified when George and Christina walked in, though Todd was persuaded to help Summer get away by driving her to the airport himself. But in true soap fashion, their escape attempt came to a dramatic halt when a police car blocked their route and officers arrested Summer on suspicion of murder.
The explosive scenes could spark fears that Harriet Bibby could be on her way of the ITV soap after six years. So far, however, there has been no indication that the actor is leaving the programme.
In fact, spoilers for upcoming episodes strongly suggest that Summer will remain heavily involved in the storyline for weeks to come. Future scenes tease that she may even find a way to clear her name after remembering a witness that could back up her alibi for the night of Theo’s murder.
Meanwhile, George is also set to confess to Todd that he was the person who tipped off the police about Summer’s suspicious behaviour, hinting at more dramatic confrontations while the police finally figure out who killed Theo.
Although Summer is unlikely to leave Weatherfield, there is still every chance she could spend time behind bars before the real killer is exposed.
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Corrie producer Kate Brooks has already confirmed viewers will learn the identity of Theo’s killer later this summer. “We reveal to the audience who it is during late June/early July,” she said. “There’s lots of people who you’ll definitely think it could be.”
Away from the long-running soap, Harriet Bibby has also spent part of this year focusing on another acting project. Rather than appearing on TV, Harriet recently took to the stage in the play My Name is Rachel Corrie, based on the life of American activist Rachel Corrie, who died in 2003 while supporting Palestinian families in Gaza.
Harriet performed the lead role during the production’s run at Manchester’s 53two theatre and later shared behind-the-scenes moments from the experience on Instagram. Her post received support from several of her Corrie co-stars, including Sally Dynevor, Liam McCheyne and Daniel Brocklebank.
For now, Harriet is firmly connected to Coronation Street. Other exits, however, have already been confirmed elsewhere in the show. Claire Sweeney is expected to leave the long-running drama later this year after landing the role of Miss Hannigan in the UK and Ireland production of Annie.
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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