Coronation Street fans dared to hope that Todd Grimshaw’s (Gareth Pierce) domestic abuse nightmare was finally over. Instead, it just got a lot worse.
For months, he has endured physical violence, emotional gaslighting and routine humiliation at the hands of his toxic partner Theo Silverton (James Cartwright). Like all bullies, Theo is riddled with insecurity and jealousy which he routinely takes out on Todd, controlling where he goes and who he sees.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride of peaks and troughs where the electric, dizzying highs of their relationship were soon over shadowing by terrifyingly dark moment – such as Theo dunking milk over Todd’s head or force-feeding him a kebab.
During a special two hander episode told through the perspective of secret camera and RING doorbell footage, Todd finally stood up to Theo and tried to leave him.
But when Theo finally pushed Todd too far, Todd pushed back and sent Theo flying over the coffee table. By the time the police got involved, Todd was the one who looked like the abuser. Just as Theo intended.
Many Corrie fans thought this would be the wake-up call Todd needed to cut his dangerous boyfriend out of his life for good. But in classical abuser form, Theo was able to manipulate Todd and love-bomb him into accepting a shock marriage proposal. Fans were dismayed to think Todd’s freedom was further away than ever.
Then Todd finally reached breaking point after a particularly brutal incident where Theo threw him to the floor and kicked him again and again. Just like always, Theo turned on the waterworks and made it seem like Todd’s behaviour was just as bad as his. Todd was cowed into submission once more.
However, salvation came at Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) wedding, in the form of Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank), Todd’s ex-partner and close friend. When Todd accidentally got covered in orange juice, Theo ordered him to get cleaned up in the bathroom. That’s where Billy saw Todd’s bruises.
In order to conceal his abuse, Theo had successfully managed to isolate Todd from the people who cared about him. For a while now, Billy has had suspicions about how Theo treats Todd. But now the cat was out of the bag, and for the first time, there was someone who fully understood the nature of the hell Todd was living through each day. Seeing Todd at lowest ebb, Billy readily agreed to take him back to Weatherfield on the minibus…
… but the bus had an unexpected passenger – Theo. And when Theo tried to cosy up to Todd, Billy ordered him to back off, earning one of Theo’s trademark glares.
Then Corriedale happened. In a groundbreaking soap crossover of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, the minibus was caught in a fiery multi-car pile up on a dark road in the dead of night. Gravely injured, Billy was trapped in the flaming bus. When he finally managed to free himself from the seatbelt, Theo buckled him back in…. and leapt out just as the bus exploded with Billy inside.
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Now Theo can add murder to his many crimes.
Taking advantage of a grief-stricken Todd being at his lowest, Theo managed to inveigle his way back into his affections. Upcoming episodes will see Todd struggling to deal with life without Billy as he and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) plan for the funeral.
At the undertakers, Todd and Summer are overcome with grief as they discuss the arrangements with George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) while Theo looks on, guilty as sin.
Later in the Rovers, Theo raises a toast to Billy, declaring that he lost his life whilst helping others. Unable to bear it, Todd slips away, overcome with emotion.
When will Todd break Theo’s spell – and will he learn the shocking truth about his role in Billy’s death?
