Leanne’s pregnancy has been blighted by secrecy and lies, so it’s no surprise the arrival of her baby son next week is a dramatic affair.
She goes into labour in a lift and is forced to give birth with just her sister Toyah by her side, trapped between two floors in Victoria Court!
Her tot arrives safely – but that’s not the end of the new mum’s heartache.
Grieving Michelle insists that she must go and see Leanne to show her support.
Michelle, still devastated by the loss of baby Rauiri last month, is happy for her friend, but seeing a healthy baby boy so soon after her own personal loss proves too much and she breaks down.
Read more: Steve and Michelle to divorce?
Leanne is guilt-ridden to have a healthy baby – named Oliver – secretly fathered by Michelle’s partner Steve.
Will Michelle’s tears provoke her into confessing the identity of Oliver’s father?
“At the beginning, Leanne wasn’t worried about the secret coming out, but when Michelle lost her baby it changed everything,” actress Jane Danson, who plays Leanne, told Inside Soap magazine.
“All she wants to do is concentrate on being a mum, but she feels this terrible guilt.”
Leanne isn’t the only one who could potentially uncover the explosive secret.
‘Dad’ Nick is left reeling after Leanne drops the bombshell that she doesn’t want his name on the birth certificate.
He is furious when Gail innocently decides to throw a party to welcome the baby’s arrival. Will he reveal all in a fit of frustration?
Read more: Nick to reunite with Carla?
As we revealed last month, Ben Price, who plays Nick, is set to leave the Corrie cast over the summer – could this all be part of the build-up to his dramatic exit?
Either way, you can hardly blame Steve for deciding to lie low when Michelle insists on paying Leanne and Oliver a visit.
The paternity saga has been a hit among Corrie viewers, with Kym Marsh (Michelle) and Simon Gregson (Steve) receiving widespread praise for their portrayal of a couple affected by the loss of a child.
Both soap faves have suffered similar experiences in their personal lives, and it was recently reported that the pair’s real-life partners were invited onto the Corrie set to help them deal with the difficult scenes.
Kym appeared on This Morning last month to talk about the storyline and the loss of her own son Archie in 2009.
She told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, “It’s like rebuilding your life, because a piece of the jigsaw is missing.”