Angela Griffin is reportedly making a dramatic comeback to Coronation Street – and soap fans have been excitedly speculating about the nature of her return.
The most likely fan theory, and seemingly confirmed today (June 21), is that her character Fiona Middleton is Emma Brooker’s mum.
But who is her dad?
Twenty one years after she quit her role as hairdresser Fiona, 42-year-old actress Angela is said to be reprising her role for a “short and sweet” stint.
It’s reported that her comeback will coincide with ex-boyfriend Steve McDonald being told he is the father of Emma, who is expected to turn out to be Fiona’s daughter.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “Angela’s return is short and sweet, but it has huge implications for Steve.
“She’s back on screen and will find out that the dates that he was with Fiona tally up to when Emma was born.”
Read more: Coronation Street fans predict shocking way Bethany Platt will leave soap
Steve’s mum Liz McDonald is set to work out that Emma, born in 1999, was conceived in 1998 when her son was dating Fiona.
Fiona and Emma are both hairdressers and both have a habit of falling for the wrong men – so it looks likely they are mother and daughter.
And while Steve seems the likely candidate to be the father, some fans have another idea – that Steve is, in fact, Emma’s brother!
Long-term viewers will remember that Jim McDonald had an illicit affair with his son’s girlfriend Fiona… Could he, in fact, be the father?
Writing on Digital Spy Forums, one fan said: “Since Jim had an affair with Fiona, do you think he could be Emma’s dad and not Steve?”
Another agreed, saying: “You beat me to it, so you did! This could also be Jim’s return story, so it could.”
A third said: “Jim was suspected as the father of her son Morgan, it turned out to be the cop she married at the time. I certainly hope they won’t claim she was still sleeping with him later on, but who knows?”
“Oh gosh, they’ll probably say that Jim is Morgan’s biological dad and Steve is Emma’s biological dad,” said another.
However one viewer with a long memory replied: “I think this was dealt with at the time, as Jim had a vasectomy after Katie died, so he couldn’t have been the father.”
Stranger things have happened in soaps, though, eh?
Actress Alexandra Mardell, who plays Emma, recently squashed theories about her character telling Lorraine: “I’ve heard the Fiona and Steve’s daughter theory, but that’s definitely not true.”
Alexandra and Angela have spoken about the theory, and found it “quite funny”.
She added: “I did have a little chat and a joke with Angela Griffin about it and that was quite funny.”
#coronationstreet @itv#wildbill @itv#turnupcharlie @Netflix#harlots @hulu#whitelines @netflix
2019, what a year. #neverforgetwhereyoucamefrom
— Angela Griffin (@Angela_Griffin) June 21, 2019
And Angela has previously admitted her alter-ego could’ve been pregnant before she left.
In 2014, she told Radiotimes.com: “My idea for a return storyline – if I were to go back – was that I’d have been pregnant by Steve when I left. And I could then return with the child.”
Angela has appeared to confirm she’s returning to Corrie in a tweet shared with her 148,000 followers.
ED! has contacted Coronation Street for comment.
Coronation Street is on Monday and Wednesday at 7.30pm and 8.30pm and Friday at 7.30pm on ITV.
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