Coronation Street's grooming storyline took a disturbing turn on Monday night as teacher Megan Walsh revealed to teenage Will Driscoll that she is pregnant with his baby. Megan, who suffers from PCOS and believed pregnancy was unlikely, had initially planned a termination but changed her mind, telling Will this might be her 'only chance' to become a mother.
In the episode, Megan cornered Will in a ginnel and confessed she could not go through with the abortion. She told him: 'I was this close to getting a termination yesterday. I just... I thought it would be for the best. You know, this is proof that we're together, and babe, no one is going to understand. Look, this could be my only chance. I'm pregnant against all odds.' When Will reminded her they used protection, she simply said 'accidents happen' and announced her plans to leave.
Will protested and spoke of their plans to marry, but Megan insisted she would go to her sister's until she 'gets sorted'. She said: 'At least if I'm on my own, I don't know, maybe I can stay with my sister until I get sorted. Look, I'm going to be showing in a few months. People are going to find out. So, the beach, the wedding, the apartment, we can't have any of that.' Will then insisted he knew a way they could still be together, but the scene cut away.
Fans reacted on social media, with one writing: 'Well, this grooming storyline has taken a turn with Megan keeping the baby and telling Will he's the dad.' Another speculated: 'If she doesn’t have a miscarry from the PCOS possibly, I could see her getting caught that way. Or I wonder it’s actually could be Daniel’s.' Megan has been in a cover-up relationship with fellow teacher Daniel Osbourne, leading some to question the baby's paternity.
Meanwhile, Daniel's sister Tracy Barlow has grown suspicious after finding a pregnancy test in Megan's handbag. In the pub, Tracy told Alya: 'Well, are you sure it wasn't for her? It doesn't look like she's drinking,' and later added: 'Mark my words though, there's summit about her. I don't know what it is. But there is.'
Actress Beth Nixon, who plays Megan, previously said of the storyline: 'It creates a lot of debate, because a lot of people say, “It’s a 15-year-old boy’s dream” but, if you flip it the other way round, it’s always seen as disgusting. If it’s a storyline that makes one person recognise that this is happening to them and it’s wrong, then it has done its job.'
