Coronation Street viewers have expressed outrage after a controversial bedroom scene aired, showing Megan Walsh taking teenager Will Driscoll to bed on his 16th birthday. The storyline, which has been building for weeks, saw the athletics coach, played by Beth Nixon, meet Will in the café before heading to a hotel room.
During the episode, Will noted he was 'finally legal now' as he handed Megan a hotel key card. Once in the room, she told him: 'Let's go to bed, I love it when we're alone. No-one will ever love you as much as I do.' The scene prompted a strong reaction from fans on social media, with one calling it 'sick' and another branding Megan a 'sex offender'.
Meanwhile, Will's family grew concerned when he failed to answer his phone. Ronnie Bailey later revealed at the Rovers that he had checked into Debbie's hotel and gave them the room number. Ben and his son Ollie rushed to the hotel and banged on the door, just as Megan and Will were considering getting out of bed. Megan hid in the bathroom, and Ben eventually assumed Will was with an old girlfriend from Hull.
To cover her tracks, Megan has been cultivating a relationship with Daniel Osbourne, played by Rob Mallard, and secured a job at Weatherfield High to be closer to Will. The situation is set to escalate further when Eva unintentionally invites the pair to the Rovers for Christmas Day.
Actress Beth Nixon, 25, who joined the cast in November, described her character as 'the devil in disguise' and warned that Megan will stop at nothing to stay on top. She said: 'She is spinning so many plates and it's a ticking time bomb.' The soap has worked with Barnardo's on the grooming storyline, with Nixon hoping it will help viewers in similar situations realise they are not alone.
