Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) is trying to shut the world out in Coronation Street. He doesn’t want to think about recent events – but an online troll isn’t giving him any choice.
A few weeks ago, Daniel asked Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) to look after Bertie while he went to the Lakes. He claimed that he wanted to get away from Weatherfield to process everything that’s been going on with former girlfriend Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon). After Daniel dropped Bertie at Number 1 though, he returned to his flat and started drinking alcohol. Daniel had absolutely no intention of going on holiday – he just wanted to ignore everything that was going on around him.
As part of this new story, Daniel has gained a new roommate in the form of Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown), who used her typical manipulative ways to gain a roof over her head as she had been thrown out of the Platt household. Surprisingly, they’re getting on well and next week, Daniel actually confides in Jodie and tells her that he doesn’t feel ready to face the world just yet. She ends up lying to Daniel and says that she knows Bertie is missing him. Her plan works, as Daniel heads to Number 1 to collect his son. When he arrives though, Daniel finds out that Bertie’s been having the time of his life. Back at the flat, Daniel wonders why Jodie lied, but she states that she did it for his own good.
In the week, Daniel is faced with a new problem when Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher) shows him some vile online posts that suggest he knew about Megan grooming Will. They also touch on how Daniel was once guilty of grooming Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) – but who is behind the account? It’s a question Daniel immediately tries to find the answer to. He tells Jodie that Truthteller is clearly someone who knows him well. Jodie then spots David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) at the bar and suggests it could be him. But is Jodie right? Or is this part of another one of her dark plans?
Producer of the show Kate Brooks has revealed the ordeal that happened with Megan is going to impact Daniel for quite some time. As he spirals, Daniel starts to wonder just who he can really trust. ‘He met somebody who’s on the same page as a teacher, apparently respectable, and he’s been completely duped by it, and it completely makes him unravel,’ Kate said. ‘Rob who plays Daniel is such a phenomenal actor and we’ll see him slowly start to lose it, because of wondering who to trust. He’s been bitten so badly by this relationship, and by the fact that he was the one who defended her as well, he feels like he’s let Will down. He feels like he’s let Bertie down. We’re really going to chart the impact she’s had on him and his life and his attitude to relationships going forward.’
As the drama unfolds, fans are left questioning Jodie’s motives. Could she be the troll herself, or is she genuinely trying to help Daniel? With the revelation that Truthteller knows Daniel intimately, the suspect list narrows. David Platt has a history with Daniel, but is he capable of such cruelty? Meanwhile, Jodie’s manipulative nature suggests she might be playing a longer game. The coming episodes promise to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as Daniel’s mental state deteriorates and the truth about the troll is finally exposed.
