Coronation Street’s Johnny Connor is facing up to the fact he has multiple sclerosis.
Struggling to take it in, he has decided to dump fiancée Jenny Bradley so she doesn’t have to care for him, and is refusing to tell his family, other than daughter Kate.
Jenny was devastated when he ended their engagement, claiming he didn’t love her any more.
Read more: Corrie Johnny’s diagnosis confirmed
Rita stormed round and demanded answers, but Johnny held firm with the not loving her story.
When Eva then presented Jenny with her wedding dress, heartbroken Jenny took a pair of scissors to it in the middle of the street, leaving Johnny feeling more guilty than ever.
As Kate demanded answers from her father, Johnny tried to avoid telling the truth and insisted his diagnosis was nothing serious.
But Kate knew he was lying and pushed until he confessed that he had MS.
Telling her he’d had symptoms for years, he went on to reveal how the night Kate’s mum had died, he’d had a stabbing pain in his right eye and couldn’t see.
“When we were fighting about Carla’s mum and she ran out into the street and a car came, I didn’t see it. It came from the right. I didn’t see it and maybe if I had…” he told an upset Kate.
Insisting he couldn’t “destroy” another woman he loved, he told Kate he didn’t want Jenny to be his carer – “She deserves more than pushing me round Freshcos in a wheelchair.”
As Kate told him he had to tell Aidan and Carla the truth, he was plain that no one else was to know anything until the day he couldn’t walk any more.
Kate refused to respect his wishes so he threw her out, but just after he slammed the door behind her, he had a stumble, hit his head on the kitchen counter and passed out cold on the floor.
He did start to come round, but then lay back down. Having pushed his entire family away, will anyone go back and find him or is this the end of Johnny?
Fans were quick to praise the “brilliant” storyline and in particular the strong scene between actors Richard Hawley (Johnny) and Faye Brookes (Kate).
Read more: Kate Connor’s shock new love interest revealed in Corrie?
Richard appeared on this morning’s Lorraine to discuss the storyline and it looks like Johnny will recover from his fall.
Speaking to the host, he revealed he didn’t know what the future of the plot was, but that he wasn’t leaving just yet.
“I don’t know what short term future is,” he said. “It’s a great job to have, I’d like to stay in it, but I see it year by year and story by story, you can give it your all and be part of the team.
“When Kate Oates said we were doing this story she said ‘It’s not an exit story’ and it can’t be anyway in a quick way.
“I’d like to be there a long time.”