Just when Coronation Street’s Gary Windass thought his problems couldn’t get any worse, next week sees a nasty twist in his war against loan shark Rick Neelan.
Soap fans will know that Gary has been struggling for cash for months, leading to him getting caught up in the Underworld roof collapse scandal.
But when he took a bribe from Peter Barlow to keep quiet about Carla knowing the factory roof wasn’t safe, he handed the cash over to Rick, thinking that would be enough to make him disappear.
Unfortunately for Gary, his problems are only just starting, and with Rick now claiming that Gary works for him, things are about to get ugly.
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Next week sees desperate Gary agreeing to fix Mary’s guttering for her, but he lies to her that the problem is far worse than he first realised and that she needs more work done to her home as a matter of urgency.
Mary falls for Gary’s money-making scam hook, line and sinker, leaving the builder feeling awful for fleecing his innocent neighbours.
But it seems Gary is going to have to get used to pulling the wool over people’s eyes when Rick takes him off to an assisted living complex and tells him he needs to try and sell high-interest loans to the elderly.
Gary feels sick at the thought of putting innocent people in danger, but has no choice but to do as Rick says as the loan shark watches on. But will he really be able to go through with it?
Meanwhile, back on the cobbles, things take another sinister turn for Gary – and this time is it all a bit close to home for his liking.
He is heartbroken as he watches evil Rick target innocent Alex into taking out a loan, and before he knows what is happening, Alex is handing over all his personal information.
In the Rovers, Gary desperately tries to talk Alex out of the loan while trying to keep the fact he is also involved out of the conversation.
But it seems Gary’s attempts are all in vain when Alex won’t be swayed.
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Unfortunately for Gary, Rick knows that he tried to warn Alex away from the loan, and he isn’t happy.
The villain tells Gary that if he tries a trick like that again then Sarah and Harry will be in danger, leaving the builder terrified.
Later that night Sarah is oblivious to the turmoil that Gary is in and heads off to bed… but Gary’s lost about what to do next and starts to cry at the kitchen table.
How is he going to get himself out of this mess?
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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