twist

Coronation Street newcomer Ben Driscoll will be left ‘absolutely devastated’ in the fallout to a sickening plot, while another bombshell leads to him hitting the bottle

It’s a tough time ahead for the Driscolls on Coronation Street, especially newcomer Ben.

Actor Aaron McCusker who has played him since October has spilled on two big moments ahead for his character. Ben will be left “devastated” in the fallout to his teenage son Will Driscoll’s grooming ordeal.

But Ben will also be left blindsided about a DNA twist that sparks heartache for him, tearing apart his relationship with his mother Maggie. It’s not yet clear if Ben will find out his real father is former character Jim McDonald, but we do know that Ben learns the man he thought was his father actually wasn’t.

Actor Aaron teased of what is ahead: “Ben and Maggie are having a row and in the heat of the argument, Maggie says something that just doesn’t make sense to Ben. Maggie tries to backtrack and pretends she didn’t know what she was saying but Ben won’t let it go.

READ MORE: Coronation Street’s Maggie vows to take down Megan amid DNA bombshellREAD MORE: Emmerdale icon says ‘good things come to an end’ after 17 years on soap amid big shake-up

“It’s digging at him, why did she say that, and he just needles at her till eventually she says right here’s the truth. Maggie’s also being blackmailed by Ben’s ex Melanie who knows the truth from Ben’s brother who witnessed things, and is using this to try to force Maggie to convince Ben to let Will go live with her.

“Eventually it all just gets too much for Maggie and she makes the decision to tell Ben herself. Then the truth comes tumbling out.” On the impact of the paternity news, Aaron went on: “He’s stunned and he’s also livid, made worse by the fact he can’t go back and talk to the man who he always thought was his dad because he’s dead.

“He also finds out that Alan knew he wasn’t Ben’s dad and still stuck by Maggie and that endears him to Alan even more. He has a huge argument with Maggie then he goes straight out to the bar and gets stuck into the whiskeys.”

Aaron hinted that it could be it for Maggie and Ben. He said: “Let’s be honest he’s forgiven his mum for quite a lot already! He threw her out of the house on Christmas Day, then let her back in.

“He sits back 50% of the time and lets her get away with how she treats Eva and he does realise that she was a single mother and sacrificed a lot to bring him and Fin up. But maybe it will go a different way this time, I think it will take a while to get over this but time’s a healer so I hope in the end they will be alright.”

He then discussed the plot involving Ben’s son Will, who has been sexually abused by his athletics coach Megan Walsh. With Will still manipulated into believing they are in a relationship, and with Megan pregnant with his child, ben is left blaming himself.

Aaron explains: “He’s absolutely gutted, he’s been through a stage of blaming himself, maybe he’s been too wrapped up in the move to Weatherfield, been stuck in the middle of the war between Maggie and Eva, focusing on his two other kids and it just slid by him. He’s disappointed in himself and he’s going out of his way now to try to make things better but with a teenage son it’s not easy and he’s going to have to work hard to repair the relationship.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is Netflix’s number one film and writer Steven Knight has revealed a fan-favourite character nearly made a surprise comeback

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has revealed he scrapped a massive twist that would have brought back Tom Hardy’s iconic character Alfie Solomons.

The Venom star portrayed the Jewish cockney crime lord of Camden from the hit drama’s second season on and had a complex relationship with the Birmingham gangsters.

After being shot in the head by Tommy Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy) on Margate beach, Alfie makes brief appearances in the fifth and sixth seasons of the hit BBC series.

Some fans may have been disappointed that Hardy didn’t make an appearance in Netflix’s new film The Immortal Man, which sees Tommy returning to Small Heath to take on his estranged son, Erasmus ‘Duke’ Shelby (Barry Keoghan), who has taken over the gang.

However, Knight has since revealed he originally considered the possibility of Alfie making an appearance – and it would have been a massive twist on the fate of the character.

“I had an idea, which I haven’t really spoken about,” he shared with the Hollywood Reporter.

“Ever since he was shot on the beach at Margate [in season four], you’ve only ever seen Tommy and Alfie together alone.”

The fifth season reveals that Alfie had actually survived the gunshot wound to the face after Hardy lobbied Knight to bring him back.

But, as Tommy regularly glimpses the ghosts of his past, including the lingering image of his first wife Grace (Annabelle Wallis), Knight briefly considered revealing that Solomons was simply another apparition Tommy had been communing with.

“I thought, maybe [Alfie] appears, and we realise he’s been dead all that time,” Knight went on.

“Now, I nearly did that, and I didn’t do it, but that was a thought.”

Hardy’s demanding schedule may have also contributed to Knight’s decision not to bring him back, as the star has recently been filming the Paramount+ crime drama MobLand since the end of Peaky Blinders.

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Thankfully, there is still a chance, albeit a slim one, that fans could see Alfie return alongside some other Peaky favourites as the series will be returning for at least two more series on Netflix and the BBC.

Knight confirmed that Duke will be appearing in the upcoming follow-up, which is set in post-WWII Birmingham, though it’s currently unknown if Keoghan will be reprising the role.

He also teased: “Some of the characters that are in [The Immortal Man] will appear in that. But I’m under strict instructions not to talk about it except to say that it’s happening.”

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is available to stream on Netflix.

If you’re looking for something to watch that not only will make you laugh, but will also leave you on the edge of your seat with plot twists, TV fans recommend one particular four-series show

Television viewers have been busy debating which programme has the “biggest plot twist” and it appears there’s one show that stands out from the rest. The question was posed in Reddit’s ‘Watchever’ community after a user looked for inspiration as to what shows they should check out next.

“What TV show had the biggest plot twist you never saw coming?” they asked. “What’s a TV show that completely shocked you with a plot twist you didn’t expect at all?” The Reddit user elaborated: “The kind that makes you pause and think, ‘Wait… what just happened?’ For many people, shows like Mr. Robot or Westworld had moments like that. Which one got you the most?”

It prompted several people to point out a four-series sitcom that first aired in 2016 and is currently available to stream on Netflix.

“This is as good of a place as any for my regular reminder for people who haven’t seen The Good Place to give it a try,” one person declared.

“The concept seems a little cheesy at first, until you realise that it’s actually about way more than what it seems like in the first season. And aside from the deeper philosophical stuff, it’s really f***ing funny.”

A second agreed, joking: “The Good Place… then The Good Place… then The Good Place again.”

A third fan suggested: “You need to go on the journey the characters go on. That’s the great thing about The Good Place; the show doesn’t give the characters the answers, they figure them out.

“And as a result it isn’t preachy about the philosophical stuff, even though the show definitely has a point that they wanted to get across about mortality.”

Whilst a fourth Reddit user praised: “It’s a sitcom structured like a mystery box drama, ending each episode with a cliffhanger. It’s easy to binge because of this. And unlike dramatic mystery box shows, the ending is amazing.”

However, a fifth who was sceptical at first confessed: “I didn’t watch The Good Place until it was on Netflix and from the first episode I thought something was off and kept looking for little hints here and there but never really anything that really stuck out on the first watch.

“Now on the second watching… I have noticed a lot more.”

The comedy stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, Ted Danson as Michael and William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye.

Netflix’s synopsis states: “Due to an error, self-absorbed Eleanor Shellstrop arrives at the Good Place after her death. Determined to stay, she tries to become a better person.”

On IMDb, meanwhile, the show boasts a very impressive score of 8.2 out of 10 following 219,000 reviews.

WHEN Gaz Beadle and Emma McVey announced their split in 2023, their fans were shocked. 

Geordie Shore lothario Gaz had always described the model, who he had two children with, as his ‘rock’. But, just months after she underwent heart surgery, Gaz announced their eight-year relationship was over. Now, insiders tell us tension has been bubbling behind the scenes.

Things are said to have reached boiling point after Gaz announced he was expecting a baby with his new girlfriend, Maia, 13 years his junior.  

Our insider says: “Gaz and Emma have both moved on and are in happy, loving relationships with new people.

“But fans have noticed there is a level of competitiveness between them, and they seem to be trying to outdo each other.

“Emma got engaged, and then Gary announced he was having a baby. It was a huge shock and very eye-opening.

“She feels like she has a very small group of loyal friends, and exactly who they are has become very clear since her split from Gary.”

It’s certainly not the first time Emma has been blindsided by Gaz – she was shocked when he announced they had split during a Q&A with fans.

He casually revealed they had split three weeks prior and insisted there was no bad blood between the couple, who share kids Chester, eight, and Primrose, six.

Sources said Emma felt it was ‘unfair’ and was keen to announce it to her own followers herself.

She didn’t shy away from how hard the breakup was, in contrast to Gaz’s laissez-faire attitude.

In a heartbreaking post, she told her followers: “It’s been really hard for me and the kids to be separated. There’s been a lot of crying on FaceTime, which really breaks my heart.

“I’ve been numb and focusing on my children while still trying to work. I’ve honestly not known what to say. I’m hoping this will get easier in time.

“Sending so much love to anyone going through something similar, and thank you so much to everyone who has been checking in on me.”

If Gary took them to the park, the next week Emma took them to a theme park

Our insider

And when she moved on with a new man and a fan accused her of being unfaithful, she shot back with a jibe that appeared to be aimed at Gary: “I was unfaithful? What with someone I met 7 months after my separation? No darlin, you clearly have NO IDEA who was unfaithful.”

Our insider continued: “There was tension from the get-go but they masked it pretty well. They both doted on their kids whenever they had them, but fans noticed how they often posted competing snaps. If Gary took them to the park, the next week Emma took them to a theme park.”

Cheating allegations

Emma and Gaz first started dating in 2016, but just a year later, they called time on their relationship, with Emma accusing Gaz of cheating and dumping her by text.

She ranted: “When he’s been filming Geordie Shore, he decided to send me a TEXT ending things, telling me to move my stuff out of OUR home that I furnished and paid for without explanation.

“After begging me to go to Australia with him and making me leave my career, I still find out he still managed to cheat on me throughout our relationship and continually lie.”

But the pair reconciled, and in 2017, they announced they were having a baby. Their son Chester was born in January 2018, and their second child, a daughter named Primrose, was born in December 2019.

Gary popped the question while she was pregnant with baby number two – the whole thing was filmed.

They tied the knot in 2021 in front of 90 guests and their kids in Cheshire.

Bedding 1000 women

Gary appeared to be a very different man – his wild Geordie Shore days were well in the past.

He once boasted about sleeping with over 1000 women – his tumultuous relationship with Charlotte Crosby was well documented – but after quitting the show in 2017, he turned his life around. 

He told us previously: “My life couldn’t be more different.

“My DM’s have changed dramatically, I can tell you that. It’s gone from mum’s wanting to shag me to mums and dads talking about colic, acid reflux, nappies, and bath toys.

“I had ten-years of partying and doing whatever I wanted. I was so used to life being all about me then I had a baby and quickly realised life wasn’t about me anymore.”

It wasn’t an easy time for any of them, as Emma suffered a series of debilitating health issues 

The model, who once dated Towie’s Mario Falcone, had no idea she’d been born with three holes in her heart until a monitor was fitted following her second pregnancy.

She’d suffered years of seizures, exhaustion and fainting episodes – but while the diagnosis was illuminating, medics were cautious about operating because Emma is also battling ulcerative colitis.

The condition, which affects roughly one in 420 in the UK, causes ulcers and inflammation in the digestive tract.

The steroid treatment used to treat it can lead to bone loss and breakage, which doctors warned could stop Emma’s bones from fusing back together.

I thought, ‘I’m going to get put to sleep and I’m not coming back out’.

Emma, on her heart surgery

Around Christmas time of 2023, her tricuspid valve – the valve between the two right chambers of the heart – further deteriorated, and the decision was made to proceed with the op in spite of the risks.

She later said: “I knew in surgery I’d be connected to a heart machine that would be keeping me alive while my heart was stopped, and I kept thinking, ‘They’re not going to be able to start my heart again’. 

“I thought, ‘I’m going to get put to sleep, and I’m not coming back out’.”

It was a life-changing experience for all the family, and made their split even more surprising. 

It wasn’t long until they both moved on, though. Emma started dating electrician James Staszewsky, and he became a huge part of her life and that of the kids as they set up home. 

Gary had a brief romance with pro golf star Charley Hull, before falling for student Maia.

In what some felt was a dig at influencer Emma, Gary gushed about Maia:  “I like how she’s got a normal job. Like, she got in at 8 o’clock this morning after leaving at half past 7 last night… 13 hours. She’s doing it again tonight, it’s inspirational.

“It almost brings me down a peg and I think that’s why I’m getting more normal and normal.

“I just love to pop to the pub for a bit of food and a walk with the dog, cutting the grass, like, I’ve become quite a normal boring person.”

The romances both came under fire and in a very surprising move they joined forces once again in order to issue a lengthy statement in which they addressed their marriage ending and the attention their new romances had gained.

‘One team’

Gaz hit back to insist they are “really good friends” and that they are both “happy and happy for one another” despite being in “new relationships”.

He added: “Both of us are in new relationships and we all get along well, and we can say we are so proud of ourselves to be able to all stay as one team.”

We’re told it was a brief period of calm for all parties involved but it wasn’t long that changed.

Gaz’s baby news was said to be one of those moments that rocked the boat.

Only a couple of years ago, Gaz had told The Sun he wouldn’t be having more kids, he said: “Two is hard enough. I think if you asked us before we may have said three but that was before we realised how hard it is.

“If we had two boys or two girls, then maybe it would be different but we have one of each, which is perfect.”

A baby bombshell

In a post last week, Gary told fans that nursing graduate Maia, 24, was pregnant.

He told fans: He wrote: “We’ve been keeping a little secret…

“Baby Beadle, you are so loved already.”

He recently returned to Geordie Shore after eight years away, though in a far cry from his wild days on the show he did it all sober.

He insisted that Maia won’t be joining the show because she has her own career, but with a baby on the way that could all change.

Friends are hoping it might put a stop to the one-upman ship.

They tell the Sun: “Everyone knows having a baby changes everything.

“They both have their happy ever afters now and can concentrate on that, and of course, the kids they share.

“There is room for them both to enjoy the limelight, without having to compete.”

Lord Alan Sugar’s candidates on The Apprentice had a nasty surprise in the latest episode of the BBC programme as three hopefuls were eliminated from the competition

The Apprentice candidates had a huge shock as Lord Sugar sent three of them packing after a tense boardroom.

The latest episode of the hit series, which aired on Thursday (March 5), saw Megan Ruiter, Carrington Saunders and Andrea Cooper all shown the door in a surprise triple firing.

Megan admitted she was “absolutely devastated” about getting the boot from the BBC show, but Carrington said: “I can say it didn’t hurt as much because it wasn’t just me getting fired. So, it was more of a ‘wow’ moment opposed to something that was entirely sad. It wasn’t until a few days later in when the sadness kicked in.”

Andrea confessed that it was “a terrible task” for her but added: “I’m not saying I was surprised because by my calculations, it could have possibly been a triple firing that week. But if there were only going to be one or two fired, I didn’t think that it should have been me.”

The episode saw the candidates head to Egypt to put on corporate away days for paying clients.

One team headed off into the desert for a dune adventure and ended up with a bumpy ride, whilst the other set off on a lagoon tour, which was anything but smooth sailing.

Megan was the project manager in charge of organising the lagoon tour, having said she’d held 25 corporate events in the past.

But she found herself in the firing line after leading her team to a loss of $290 due to the clients asking for a 50% refund for their raw and cold food and their kayaking activity, which left them eating dinner in wet clothes.

Lord Sugar branded it as one of the worst performances in corporate hospitality, later posting on X (formerly Twitter): “I’ve seen some kitchen disasters in my time on The Apprentice, but this one takes some beating. ‘Unbelievable’ is the word.”

The businessman took Megan back into the boardroom for her performance as project manager, with Carrington alongside her after she served up the raw potato wedges. Andrea ended up joining them after she clashed with Kieran McCartney during a successful negotiation.

The trio all fought for their place in the competition but Lord Sugar was unimpressed, declaring there would be a rare triple firing as he showed all three of them the door.

“This is a b***** disaster,” he said. “An absolute disaster. One of the worst performances in corporate hospitality. So you can put that in your CV next.”

The Apprentice airs on BBC One

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