Coronation Street viewers have been left 'wanting to punch the telly' after Friday night's episode depicted a harrowing coercive control storyline involving Todd Grimshaw and his boyfriend Theo Silverton. The abuse, which has been largely psychological, escalated when Theo smashed Todd's face into a mirror after accusing him of flirting with fitness instructor James Bailey.
In the episode, Theo forced Todd to stare at himself in a full-length mirror before pushing his head into it, causing a cut that required hospital treatment. At the hospital, Todd refused to explain the injury, and Theo manipulated the situation by blaming a 'tug-of-war' accident. Later at home, Theo presented Todd with a cold dinner and guilt-tripped him into eating it, leaving Todd on the verge of tears.
Fans took to social media to express their distress, with one writing: 'Todd/Theo just makes me wanna punch the telly! Hope their story gets the right affect on people who are experiencing the same manipulative treatment.' Another said: 'The Todd and Theo sl is harrowing. I hate Theo.' A third added: 'Hard watch today with the Todd and Theo story line, an important one, and well acted, but a hard watch non the less.'
The storyline has included previous incidents of abuse, such as when Theo poured a bottle of milk over Todd after he lied about damaging his new car. Todd, played by Gareth Pierce since 2020, first appeared on the soap in 2000, and the drama shows no signs of stopping.
