Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod has teased details of a "tragic" new storyline for 2021 involving Weatherfield's younger characters.
The mystery storyline is described as "incredibly hard-hitting" and will go on to have "massive ramifications" for other characters including Roy (David Neilson) and Abi (Sally Carman).
In an acclaimed plot that aired earlier this year, Asha (Tanisha Gorey) found herself the subject of a nude photo leak after Kelly (Millie Gibson) took the phone of her love interest Corey (Maximus Evans) - although it is unclear at the moment whether the new storyline is related.
Speaking to reporters in a Zoom press conference, MacLeod said: "We've got a huge story next year, for which we're laying the groundwork for this year, which involves some of the younger characters such as your Asha and your Nina and your Aadi and Kelly - some may remember Kelly, who is loan shark Rick Neelan's daughter.
"They're going to be stuck in a story that is incredibly hard-hitting and will have massive ramifications for Roy and for Abi.
"So yeah, essentially it will be one of the biggest things we'll do next year by some margin. It will be one of our quite serious social responsibility-type stories. It will start with the teens and then end up hoovering in Abi and Roy and countless other people as well.
"It would be weird to say that I'm excited about it because it's incredibly sad and tragic, in some respects, but it will be a really important story for us next year."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV.
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