Coronation Street's Alina Pop is to get an unwelcome blast from the past next week.
The ITV soap has confirmed the shock return of Rachel Healy, who viewers may remember for being part of the human trafficking horror that unfolded on the street back in 2019.
Seb Franklin discovered Alina sitting on an old mattress in a filthy bedsit and is horrified to realise that her salon boss Rachel and her husband are people traffickers.
Later, Eileen Grimshaw was left horrified when her boyfriend Jan Lozinski, who was working undercover to see Rachel and her group put behind bars, was shot by Rachel in broad daylight on the cobbles.
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Rachel, played by Verity Henry, hasn't been seen on screen since - until now.
Next week, Corrie viewers will see her return as Alina fears for her life amid the arson attack.
Alina tells Tyrone that if it wasn't his ex Fiz Stape who started the fire, somebody else did with the intention of killing them.
Alina tells Craig Tinker about the people trafficking case she was involved in and wonders if one of the gang set fire to the flat out of revenge.
Tyrone, who knows daughter Hope is behind the fire, calls Fiz and explains that Alina is living in constant fear so it might be best if they move into No.9.
But soon, Alina comes face-to-face with Rachel in the street and immediately confronts her, blaming her for starting the fire.
Rachel insists she’s innocent leaving Alina wondering who on earth could be responsible.
By the end of the week, Alina will discover the horrifying truth - and that Tyrone was lying to her.
Coronation Street star Ruxandra Porojnicu, who plays Alina, previously spoke on ITV show Lorraine about her own situation when she moved to the UK, with some similarities to her character.
Ruxandra, 28, arrived from Romania with just £300 six years ago with dreams of a better future.
She said: "What really helped me at the beginning was the fact I kind of found myself in Alina's situation when I moved to the UK.
"I came with big dreams. I just wanted to work for a better future and earn money. So I was a bit naive. I wouldn’t think to sign a contract, I need to know about those people."
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