Coronation Street star Tracie Bennett is set to make a dramatic return to the cobbles as Rita Tanner's foster daughter, Sharon Bentley, after 22 years away.
Rita (Barbara Knox) will get a big shock when Sharon arrives - as the last time she was seen on the street was 1999, when they fell out over Sharon’s attempt to sell the Kabin after it was gifted to her.
Jenny Connor is also less than impressed with the prodigal foster daughter’s return- and Rita’s decision to give Sharon another chance.
What has brought Sharon back to a place where she has more enemies than friends, and will Rita live to regret letting this cuckoo back into the nest?
Sharon first arrived as a troubled teenager 39 years ago, and made 173 appearances in 1982, 1983-84, and 1999, ruffling more than a few feathers along the way.
She made a play for Nick's dad Brian Tilsley, and lied to his wife Gail Platt that they were having an affair, before leaving in disgrace.
Returning briefly in 1983 she caught the eye of Curly Watts but dumped him for his friend, Terry Duckworth.
In 1999 she came back to invite Rita to her wedding to Ian Bentley, who she subsequently dumped at the alter - exposing his affair with Natalie Barnes.
Happy that Sharon decided to stay around after the wedding fiasco, Rita offered Sharon a job at The Kabin.
Sharon happily accepted, although she soon clashed with Rita's assistant Leanne Battersby.
Much to Leanne's horror, and that of few of Rita's other friends, Rita offered The Kabin to Sharon as a birthday gift, and admitted it was because she was lonely.
After a doomed romance with Danny Hargreaves and a suicide attempt, Sharon got back in touch with ex-fiance Ian and, much to Rita’s dismay she put the Kabin up for sale to purchase a house with Ian in Bolton.
Rita bought the Kabin back off Sharon and furiously sent her packing.
Tracie said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to the cobbles. It is a dream come true for me, I had such an amazing time there and I am looking forward to working with Barbara again and getting my teeth into the storylines they have planned for Sharon.
"I was first approached about coming back about 18 months ago, I was keen and excited to see what was in store but my work schedule and then the pandemic has meant that it has taken till now for it all to come together.
"I am so pleased that I can finally tell everyone as it has been hard trying to keep the secret."
Producer Iain MacLeod teased: "It’s extremely exciting to see someone of Tracie’s calibre revisit a role so rich in history and with such a complicated psychology.
"Sharon returns across some badly burned bridges to reconnect with Rita - but very quickly her presence becomes destabilising and extremely dangerous, in ways that I hope the viewers won’t see coming.
"The big question is: what has her life become since she was last on the Street? The answer to that question will drive a massive story for us, which runs into the summer and beyond."
