Coronation Street Spoilers – Nick blackmailed by Jacob’s father

Coming up next week on Coronation Street, the arrival of Jacob’s estranged father becomes a nightmare for Nick, while Griff asks Max to lie to the police.

It’s taken several months for Jacob (Jack James Ryan) to turn his life around, but is the shock appearance of the former drug dealer’s estranged father Damon (Ciaran Griffiths) about to bring everything crashing down?

Any festive spirit from Victoria Street’s Christmas market soon dissolved for Jacob when Damon emerged from the shadows, and whilst Jacob bitterly sent him on his way, Damon is determined to have a catch-up.

Jacob coldly turns Damon down when he asks him for a drink, and Jacob’s girlfriend Amy (Elle Mulvaney) is shocked to learn that the stranger is in fact his father.

Jacob goes on to explain that he hasn’t heard from Damon in years, and there’s been no love lost. Damon is a waste of space, and Jacob feels he’s much better off without him. But Amy insists that Jacob should hear him out, he is family after all.

As Jacob reluctantly agrees to meet him at the hotel, Damon is angry to hear about Jacob’s involvement with Harvey (Will Mellor), which ended with him dealing drugs and being put in hospital.

With all his troubles behind him, Jacob demands that Damon leave, worrying that he’s going to destroy the new life that he’s managed to forge for himself.

Jacob later reveals to Amy over lunch that he resents his father being able to swan it up in Ibiza whilst he was stuck back in Weatherfield getting mixed up in gangs, but Damon is adamant that he wants to make things up to his son.

Is Damon really telling the truth though?

“He’s definitely got an ulterior motive,” Ciaran Griffiths reveals. “He makes out that he’s back to make amends with Jacob, he slowly starts to build up his trust but I think that will be to let him back down again. He’s just using Jacob for his own benefit, which you get the impression he’s done for a lot of his life.”

Indeed Ciaran questions whether Damon has any genuine sympathy after hearing about Jacob’s experience with Harvey.

“I don’t think he does at the beginning, Damon is just all out for what he can get for himself, but maybe down the line some guilt will start to creep in.”

Damon’s true intentions become clear soon enough when he pays a visit to the bistro and introduces himself to Nick (Ben Price), who has recently accepted money from Harvey in order to complete essential maintenance work on the building.

“Harvey has lent this money to Nick for Sam which he’s invested in the bistro but Damon says ‘Actually I lent that money to Harvey so it’s my stake in the business’,” Ciaran explains.

“Nick doesn’t want Leanne to know about the deal he did with Harvey so that’s how Damon has got Nick in his back pocket. He blackmails Nick and puts him in a position where he can’t say anything to Leanne so he’s forced to go along with what Damon wants.”

Whether Damon is telling the truth or not, Nick is forced to play along as he introduces Damon to Leanne (Jane Danson), claiming that he’s an old school friend who lent him the money, who also happens to be Jacob’s dad.

Leanne is shocked, having believed that the money had come from Sam’s inheritance fund, but Nick assures her that Damon is to be trusted.

Damon makes his move as he then tells Nick that, in return for the cash, he’d like him to give Jacob a job in the bistro.

So is Nick going to be stuck with Damon calling all the shots from now on?

“I think he’ll hang onto his stake at the bistro for as long as he can,” Ciaran adds. “But if it gets too hot to handle he’ll vanish in a flash and leave everyone else to pick up the pieces.”

Having tried to help Jacob with some employment, Damon wastes no time in trying to buy his son’s loyalty, when he gives him £500 to buy Amy something really flash for Christmas.

Whilst we’ll have to wait and see if Jacob will see through his father’s facade, Ciaran explains that he’s enjoyed catching up with some old friends after coming back from his home in Australia to take on the role.

“I’ve really been enjoying working with Jane (Danson) again as we did The Bill together many years ago. It’s been great to see some other familiar faces like Samia, Andy Whyment, Alan Halsall, although we’ve not had scenes together yet. Also I know a lot of the crew from previous jobs so it’s nice to catch up with some old faces.”

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Elsewhere on the cobbles, Max (Paddy Bever) finds himself in an awkward predicament when a camping trip with Griff (Michael Condron) goes awry.

Undercover copper Spider (Martin Hancock) is uneasy when he learns of the planned excursion for the gang, particularly when Max is invited. Max on the other hand is pleased as punch to be asked along, and eagerly accepts despite David’s (Jack P Shepherd) objections.

In the meantime, Spider does some digging and he finally discovers the identity of Griff’s financial backer—is it someone we’ve recently met?

Spider’s false allegiance to Griff’s far-right group hasn’t come without its sacrifices, as he was forced to let Toyah (Georgia Taylor) dump him over his beliefs, but is he about to finally come clean about what’s really going on?

As Spider lets Toyah in on some big news, he implores her to keep his secret… but does she still trust him enough to do so?

It soon becomes apparent that the camping trip isn’t exactly what Max had in mind, and when Griff lands himself in trouble with the law, it’s Max that he asks to lie to the police about what really happened.

How much longer is it going to be before Max is in over his head?

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Here are next week’s Coronation Street Spoilers:

Monday 19th December (Episode 10825-10826)

Jacob’s dad Damon makes his presence felt, as Jacob is resentful of Damon’s cushy life in Ibiza while he was mixed up in gangs.

Griff’s financial backer is revealed.

Adam gives Daisy an important article Daniel has written, revealing how she’s helped him to love again after loss and rebuild his life.

Billy and Paul go to the police to report Summer as a missing person

Wednesday 21st December (Episode 10827-10828)

Max and Griff’s survival trip goes horribly wrong.

Nick goes behind Leanne’s back again.

Daisy gets news as she and Daniel attend the appointment at the breast clinic.

Fiz suggests they book a cottage in the Lakes for Christmas, leaving Tyrone scared his wedding plans could be scuppered.

Friday 23th December (Episode 10829-10830)

Toyah considers keeping Spider’s secret, as Griff convinces Max to lie to the police.

Daniel explains to Jenny that he plans to propose to Daisy and asks for her blessing.

There’s a break-in at Number 1 – all the Christmas presents have gone from under the tree, and Daniel tells Jenny that the burglars took the engagement ring.

Fiz frets over Christmas day, worried it’ll be the worst one ever.