Coronation Street's 'worst ever villain’ is set to return to Weatherfield after being released from prison

Coronation Street's 'worst ever villain’ is returning to the ITV soap after being released from prison in the soap's latest storyline.

In scenes reportedly due to air this summer, groomer Nathan Curtis, who raped then-teenager Bethany Platt and tried to sell her for sex work abroad, is set to be released from prison and will return to the cobbles.

The storyline is set to be a dark new plot for Bethany Platt, daughter of Sarah Platt, after she returned to the soap herself at the beginning of this year. Regular viewers will remember that back in 2017 villain, played by Christopher Harper, groomed Bethany by giving her gifts, alcohol and and drugs but then went on to rape her in disturbing scenes.

The storyline came to and end when Nathan, who had also forced the teen to sleep with his friends before proposing to her, tried to sell Bethany into sex work abroad, but she was able to call the police and Nathan, along with his gang of attackers, were jailed.

In May, however, Bethany, played by Lucy Fallon, is set for a shock when she learns that her rapist has been released from prison. A source told The Sun: 'Nathan's easily the worst villain Corrie's ever produced. The grooming storyline was one of the soap's most important. The hope is that revisiting it will boost the show. It's a risk but it's one that producers hope will pay off.”

A Coronation Street representative has not yet commented on the storyline, but ITV drama boss John Whiston previously said: “The show is proud to explore important contemporary issues . . . in an engaging but responsible way.”