Coronation Street has finally revealed the identity of Daniel Osbourne's attacker after he was left for dead on Christmas Day.
The ITV soap ended the festive period with a dramatic whodunnit, after Rob Mallard's character was brutally beaten on the cobbles, leaving fans desperate to uncover the culprit.
During the drama-packed episode, a disastrous Christmas lunch unfolded at the Rovers Return, where Eva Price became the target of a shocking plot orchestrated by her ex mother-in-law Maggie Driscoll.
Maggie, played by Pauline McLynn, stunned guests by accusing Eva of having an affair with Adam Barlow, played by Sam Robertson, after inviting friends and neighbours to the pub for a festive meal.
However, it later emerged that Eva had not been unfaithful at all. Adam had instead supported her through a secret abortion after she discovered she was pregnant with her ex Ben's baby.
Unable to raise two children alone, Eva leaned on Adam after the pair coincidentally crossed paths, leaving Maggie's plan to expose an affair to spectacularly backfire.
Coronation Street has finally revealed the identity of Daniel Osbourne's attacker after he was left for dead on Christmas Day.
The ITV soap ended the festive period with a dramatic whodunnit, after Rob Mallard's character was brutally beaten on the cobbles, leaving fans desperate to uncover the culprit, and Catherine Tyldesley previously teased the attacker was connected to the Driscoll family.
As a result, Ben kicked Maggie out of the house, but as she packed her belongings, she made a chilling discovery.
In scenes set to air on Boxing Day, Maggie spots her grandson Will, played by Lucas Hodgson-Wale, violently attacking Daniel in a nearby alleyway.
Rather than stepping in, Maggie coldly pockets Daniel's watch and wallet, staging the assault as a random robbery in a bid to protect Will.
She then goes one step further by framing another resident for the attack after spending the night at the Chariot Square Hotel.
The Boxing Day reveal came after the identity of the attacker had been teased by Catherine, who hinted they would be 'connected to the Driscoll family'.
She said: 'Christmas is supposed to be that time where seemingly everyone is supposed to get on, you hang out with friends and family, and everything's supposed to be lovely, but it's not like that in Weatherfield on Christmas Day!'
'So, yeah, it's a big shock...there are two attacks connected to the Driscoll family, it isn't exactly how any of them envisaged their first Christmas in the Rovers.'
The family had far from an uneventful Christmas in this week's episode, leaving viewers with a handful of potential attackers.
In scenes set to air on Boxing Day, Maggie spots her grandson Will, played by Lucas Hodgson-Wale, violently attacking Daniel in a nearby alleyway.
Rather than stepping in, Maggie coldly pockets Daniel's watch and wallet, staging the assault as a random robbery in a bid to protect Will.
At the time, they included Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn), whose 'outrageous' behaviour ruined Christmas, as well as Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale), who attempted to drown his sorrows and terrible mood with A LOT of alcohol.
However, Ben and Adam were also potential suspects, given the fact that they had already engaged in some festive violence.
The episode comes after Catherine Tyldesley, 42, candidly revealed what she finds the most 'terrifying' about being a parent after returning to Coronation Street last month to reprise her role as Eva Price.
While she has been at the centre of several hard-hitting storylines, she admitted that one has hit harder than the rest, with her onscreen step-son Will, 16, being secretly groomed by his female sports coach.
Catherine and her husband Tom Pitfield, 38, are the proud parents of Alfie, 10, and three-year-old daughter Iris.
And with her own son nearing his teenage years,the soap star confessed to Fabulous magazine that she has developed a whole new slew of parenting fears.
Speaking about the grooming storyline,she explained: 'It has cut deep for all of us, especially with having children. It's terrifying... It happens a lot. That's why I will be letting Alfie watch it because we've got to help protect kids. It's really important.'
'From Alfie's age onwards,you put your trust in these people,in somebody who is perhaps a teacher,and kids don't necessarily know what the boundaries are,and what is right and what is wrong.'
Coronation Street airs at 7pm on Boxing Day and is available to watch early on ITVX.