Coronation Street has confirmed rumours of a pregnancy storyline for Maria Connor.
Scenes airing in the run-up to Christmas will see Maria share the big news with Gary Windass (Mikey North) that she's expecting his baby.
New spoilers have revealed that Maria tells her villainous boyfriend on Monday, December 9, bringing them even closer.
Realising that it's time to show more of a commitment to his new relationship, Gary suggests that he and Maria should view a flat in Victoria Court, which is up for rent.
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Speaking about the new storyline, Samia Longchambon – who plays Maria – explained: "She does really like Gary. Obviously she has known him for years. He is a single dad, she is a single mum, so they've got a lot in common in that sense and he is being really sweet to her.
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"Ali dumped her and it may have started off as a bit of a rebound, but the more she sees in Gary, the more she does really like him. But I do think she still has feelings for Ali deep down as well.
"She is throwing herself into this relationship with Gary to try and make it work because she knows that Ali is in a bit of a mess, so Gary seems like the safe bet… which couldn't be further from the truth!
"It wasn't her decision to end the relationship with Ali and she is still puzzled as to why it all ended so suddenly when he had just told her that he loved her.
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"She knows that Ali still has feelings for her, so there is still some unfinished business there. But she's trying to ignore those feelings, she is not trying to play a game."
Asked how Ali reacts to the news of Maria's pregnancy, Samia replied: "Maria thinks he is jealous. He mentions about getting rid of the baby and she is shocked that he would really go that far just because he is jealous. She can't see past that."
Coronation Street airs these scenes in an hour-long episode on Monday, December 9 at 7.30pm on ITV.
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