Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) is one of the most rotten individuals that has ever traipsed the cobbles of Coronation Street.
A deeply manipulative paedophile who grooms, isolates and deeply corrupts the children she predates upon and is utterly unrepentant in her actions, as she’s shown with Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) and his friend, former victim, Lee (Oscar Aldersley).
A cold, vicious enemy to anyone who dares cross her, she waged mental warfare against Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) when he discovered her true nature, sabotaging his academic success and relishing in turning his attempts to expose her against him.
Although he did eventually divulge what he knew, she’s damaged him so badly he’s been left with deep trauma and has become psychologically unwell.
Even when exposed, she was capable of ensuring that Will didn’t confirm the truth to anybody, continuing her sick grooming while attempting to plan her own escape to another country alone, despite promising that she’d take him with her and they’d be together.
It was an unlikely intervention from Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) that saw Will finally listen to reason, when Tim used his own experience of sexual abuse to open his eyes to what Megan had truly done to him.
As he attempted to flee alongside her, Tim gave him the option of either absconding with Megan and remaining under her thrall, or finally reporting her to the police, Will chose the latter.
Will has suffered since making the report, with the true scope of the damage Megan has done becoming evident.
An attempt at kindness from Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon), herself a former victim of grooming quickly went awry when Will mistook it for a predatory act.
Next, he encountered a deeply unwell Sam, who called him sick and wished him dead.
Unaware of how much Sam is struggling, Will absorbs the cruel words before overhearing his dad, Ben (Aaron McCusker), worrying that Megan has destroyed him for life.
Climbing some scaffolding while chugging from a bottle of vodka, the timely intervention of Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey), Hope Dobbs (Isabella Flanagan) and grandma Maggie (Pauline McLynn) ensured he was brought down to safety, before Megan re-appeared, having been released on bail.
She slipped her new number into his pocket, which he later put into his phone. Troubled as he is, though, his new friendship with Hope returns a smile to his face.
Next week, he tells her that he’s considering giving up athletics, fearing the pursuit will always remind him of Megan, but she’s quick to reassure him that he needs to continue.
The way she sees it, quitting would only reinforce Megan’s control over his life and it’d be a massive shame to squander his abilities.
Heartened, Will agrees with Hope.
Later in the week, he tells Hope he’s received a message from his friend, Lee, who’s visiting from Hull and wants to meet up.
As he waits for Lee, though, he’s absolutely shaken to turn around and see Megan, realising that she’s set him up.
