The fate of Coronation Street’s beloved character Carla Connor was unveiled in distressing scenes broadcast on Christmas Eve. The factory owner, portrayed by Alison King since 2006, embarked on a relationship with DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), captivating viewers and earning them the social media moniker ‘Swarla’.

However, their romance took a bitter turn shortly after their engagement when Lisa’s wife Becky made a shocking return from the dead. Initially believed to have died in action over four years ago, Becky, also a police officer, had left Lisa and their daughter Betsy to build a life with Carla at number six.

In reality, Becky’s alleged death was part of a corrupt police cover-up, and since her return from hiding in Spain, she has been determined to reclaim Lisa.

After infiltrating number six under the pretense of being pursued by a gang, Becky was delighted when Carla announced her departure to the Canary Islands last week. However, in the latest instalment of the world’s longest-running TV soap on ITV, a startling revelation showed that Carla had not ended up there at all.

Before Carla’s unexpected twist was revealed, Becky seized the opportunity to manipulate Lisa while they were alone in the house. What began as a massage escalated into a more intimate encounter upstairs, reports the Mirror.

After the event, Becky confessed to Lisa: “I never stopped loving you, you know. We do need to think about…where do we go from here?”

Lisa replied: “I’ve lost so much trust. I still love Carla too,” while Becky retorted: “Of course. Complicated Carla. I’m not being horrible, but which one of us is here? Carla was just a tourist, and it looks like she heard the bell ring and finally it was time to jump off the bus.”

That same evening, Lisa sent Carla a voice message, saying: “It’s Christmas Eve, babe. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want you back in my life and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get you back. It’s you. And it will only ever be you. I love you. Merry Christmas.”

Much to Lisa’s comfort, a response from Carla appeared almost immediately.

However, the following scene revealed that Becky had returned to her own flat and was actually responding to Lisa using Carla’s phone. This suggested that all those social media photographs supposedly showing Carla relaxing on a beach were fabricated.

Becky discarded the mobile, rose from her seat, and a frightened Carla came into view, restrained and silenced. She struck Carla before icily commanding: “Get back in the closet, Carla,” then forcefully shut the door.

Viewers of the Manchester-set soap will recall that this isn’t the businesswoman’s first encounter with such a perilous predicament. Back in 2010, Carla’s late husband Tony Gordon emerged from prison seeking vengeance, holding both Carla and Weatherfield stalwart Hayley Cropper captive inside Underworld as flames consumed the factory.

Both escaped moments before the building was destroyed, yet earlier this year saw Carla once again trapped, this time by her brother Rob Donovan at number one, who had broken out of prison after serving nearly ten years for murdering Tina McIntyre.