Coronation Street spoilers to follow.
Coronation Street confirmed that Stephen Reid and Elaine Jones will get even closer — as roommates.
The pair struck up a friendship over the last few months, with Elaine oblivious to how Stephen has been shamelessly using her for financial help.
Stephen often relied on Elaine’s support, maintaining the pretense of being a successful businessman. He also manipulated her by lying that his ex-wife Gabrielle had been abusive to him.
More recently, however, Stephen has worked his way through the factory and hasn’t been so dependent on Elaine’s loans and handouts.
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On Monday’s episode, Elaine meets Stephen at the cafe and updates him on her living arrangements.
Elaine confirms that an apartment in the luxury development Redbank is woefully out of her price range, forcing her to look at other options.
Her despair turns to joy when Stephen agrees that they can pool their finances by buying the property together as flatmates.
Despite being happy with the idea of moving in with Stephen, Elaine can’t help but wish they could be a couple instead of friends.
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Will Stephen continue to manipulate Elaine when they’re living under the same roof – and could she be in danger due to her recent list of crimes?
Todd Boyce, who plays Stephen, recently said: “He’s perfectly capable of being charming – he’s had Elaine, Rita, Jenny and Sarah, but men can be a little wary of him. It’s a veneer, he’s very shameless.”
Asked if Stephen really cares about anyone, Todd replied: “He didn’t show a lot of care or compassion. David annoyed and pissed him off – it’s good that David is distracted, otherwise he could have been a real problem for Stephen.
“He has avoided spending time with his mother and is just using Elaine as we know.
ITV
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“The few exceptions are maybe Sarah, who he has a lot of time for and is close to, but it’s clear he’s seen her a lot more in the past in Milan.
“And he’s still attracted to Jenny – that’s where things could go wrong for him if he gets distracted by her. He sees the life he could have had with Jenny and that’s the life he wants.”
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and broadcasts on ITVX.
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