Coronation Street legend Jim McDonald is on his way back to Weatherfield. But reports that Jim will be returning with his daughter, Katie, has left soap fans reeling – because she is supposed to be dead.
Jim’s wife Liz gave birth to Katie on New Year’s Day in 1992. The tiny baby girl was born prematurely and she died soon afterwards, leaving her parents heartbroken.
Big brother Steve blamed himself for Katie’s death because he was in trouble with the police at the time and had gone missing when Liz went into labour. He even stayed away from Katie’s funeral because he felt so guilty.
Read more: What happens now Liz is out of the Rovers?
Liz talked about losing her daughter recently, when she’s been comforting Johnny Connor after the death of son Aidan.
But now it seems her heartbreak over her baby girl’s death was all misplaced, because she’s still alive and has been living in Australia.
Yes, you heard that right. According to rumours, Jim will return with Katie (played by Aussie actress Hannah Ellis Ryan) in tow after she tracks him down via his army records.
It’s said that a “hospital mix-up” meant Katie survived and was accidentally adopted by a couple who then emigrated to Australia.
So far, so ridiculous.
When soaps change a character’s backstory, it’s called ‘retconning’. Like when Dirty Den turned out to still be alive, and claimed to have watched his own funeral.
Sometimes it works – Charity’s discovery that son Ryan is alive in Emmerdale has been brilliant. But this latest bit of soap trickery is truly a retcon too far.
Those of us old enough to remember (and those of us too young can easily find the clips on YouTube) watched Liz and Jim grieve for their little girl.
We heard them being told Katie’s chances weren’t good, and later that she’d died; we saw Liz show Jim a precious photo of their daughter, and even watched broken Jim register his daughter’s birth and death at the same time.
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Their loss shaped Jim and Liz’s marriage, affected Steve’s personality, and has made Liz into the person she is today.
Plus, like all good soap tragedies, it reached out to viewers who’d suffered a similar loss – just as Michelle and Steve losing baby Ruairi back in 2017 did.
But the brilliant performances by Bev Callard (Liz) and Charlie Lawson (Jim) back in 1992, and viewers’ sadness for the characters they loved, will all be tainted by this latest story.
Corrie fans seem to be united in their dislike for this twist in the McDonalds’ tale, asking the show to “reconsider” it.
One fan even added that it was: “Appalling, tasteless, completely far-fetched and deeply unpleasant.”
Another fan pointed out that it’s unfair to anyone who’s gone through a similar experience.
And another viewer said it was an “insult to fans”.
As huge soap fans ourselves, we can’t argue with this reasoned criticism.
Much as we love Corrie and its exceptional story-telling, it’s hard to get behind a storyline like this.
However, there is one tiny glimmer of hope on the horizon. Some fans have speculated this could all be a big con.
Remember fake Dee in Neighbours? Perhaps this is something similar? It’s still not perfect but even that’s better than a unlikely hospital mix-up.
What do you think about this rumoured storyline? Join the conversation on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.