Coronation Street airs a special episode focused on Bernie Winter-Alahan tonight, as she makes a series of bad decisions which could send her marriage to Dev off the rails. Is it only a matter of time before he finds out what she’s been up to?

Show bosses have been lining up a sad downward spiral for Bernie, who’s struggling to cope following the tragic death of her son-in-law Billy Mayhew in the Corriedale crash. Bernie has felt a close connection to Billy since their shared loss of Paul Foreman in 2024, so the latest heartbreak is proving to be one too many.

In tonight’s episode, Bernie heads off for a boozy night out with the girls at The Rovers – despite warnings from Dev that it’s not a healthy approach to dealing with her grief.

Bernie can’t be deterred and later decides to keep the party going by drinking alone at the Chariot Square Hotel bar. It’s there that she meets newcomer Mal Roper – the betrayed husband of Roy Cropper’s pen pal Alice.

After causing a drunken scene at the bar, Bernie agrees to join Mal upstairs in his room at the hotel. Deciding to up the ante, Bernie pops out for some pills in the hope that she and Mal can both blot out their problems.

There’s trouble afoot for Bernie when Ryan Connor bursts into the room to raise concerns about the ongoing noise.

Ryan takes in the chaotic scene – not only how worse for wear Bernie looks, but also how she seems to be betraying Dev by being in a hotel room with another man. When Bernie protests that nothing has happened between her and Mal, will Ryan agree to keep quiet about what he’s seen?

Coronation Street’s producer Kate Brooks previously teased this story by telling us: “We take Bernie on a really interesting journey as she struggles. It gets to the point where, because it’s been bubbling for such a long time, it eventually erupts.

“When it does, there are consequences for Bernie. It’s not as straightforward as Dev sweeping in and making sure that everything’s okay. It’s a really muddy, murky story that we take her on. I think it just again explores another side of Bernie that we’ve not seen yet.”