Tonight’s episode of Coronation Street revealed that Leanne Battersby has been talking to an AI version of her dead son Oliver… and it’s seriously chilling.
This came as Nick and Toyah accused Leanne of developing inappropriate feelings for Institute member Rowan. After hearing Leanne tell a mystery figure on her laptop that she loved them, Toyah leapt to the theory that she was declaring her love for Rowan.
However, when confronted by Nick, Leanne revealed the horrifying truth… straight out of the uncanny valley.
Leanne reveals AI Oliver
Showing Nick her laptop screen, Leanne revealed that she had actually been talking to her dead son Oliver; or at least a ‘state of the art’ AI designed to look and sound like Oliver would have.
‘Hello Mummy,’ said robo-Oliver as Nick looked on in a strange combination of pity and disgust.
Nick and Toyah were, somewhat appropriately, horrified. Toyah was particularly disgusted by Rowan’s latest manipulation tactic.
After Nick told her what the Institute had been up to, she then confronted Rowan on the street. As she demanded that Leanne get rid of AI Oliver, she angrily referred to the simulation as an ‘aberration,’ and a clear attempt at controlling her sister.
Fans were certainly very creeped out by the AI image too.
That’s absolutely horrifying #corrie
— Shannon (@_TS_13) June 7, 2024
OMG Leanne, sorry, but that is too, too creepy #corrie
— Tracey Morait (Author) ⚽ (@tmoraitauthor) June 7, 2024
Oh bloody hell, AI Oliver is creepy af! #corrie
— The Talk of the Street (@corriepodcast) June 7, 2024
That’s horrific! I did one of those moving picture things with a photo of my dad which blinked and that creeped me out so much I deleted it and the app immediately #Corrie
— Sasha (@Sasha_Rose_) June 7, 2024
#Corrie that is weird and creepy.
— travelprincess99 (@rjc99999) June 7, 2024
Who was Oliver Battersby on Coronation Street – and how did he die?
Oliver was the son of Leanne and Steve McDonald, conceived as a result of the pair’s one-night stand in 2016. Born in 2017, Oliver’s life was cut short when he was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease three years later.
He died in November 2020, with Leanne and Steve at his side as the youth’s life support was then switched off.
His digital resurrection is the latest attempt by Rowan and the Institution to manipulate Leanne, appealing to her grief and sense of loss surrounding her son’s tragic death.
The police arrest Toyah for murder
That same episode, the police also arrested Toyah for the murder of her baby.
Did Rowan report Toyah to the police? Or, even worse, did Leanne shop her own sister, at Rowan’s insistence?
Can Nick and Toyah save Leanne from the Institute?
Read more: Who’s leaving Coronation Street in 2024? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns
Coronation Street usually airs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV.
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