Coronation Street fans could be onto the 'twist of the century', predicting that they've uncovered a character in the Virgin Media One soap that doesn't really exist.
Fans have been confused by funeral director George Shuttleworth's strange behaviour in recent weeks, as he comes up with every opportunity not to stay the night with his partner Eileen Grimshaw.
He famously cooked up a bizarre story about having a very territorial cat - before forgetting the cat’s name and how his previous furry friend died.
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It's clear Eileen doesn't believe him and has started to suspect he could have another woman on the side.
Corrie fans have been coming up with many theories for the peculiar behaviour - from George having sleep apnea to being a bigamist - but one Reddit user seems to have twigged the biggest twist yet, predicting that George is merely a figment of Eileen's imagination.
After a long relationship with serial killer Pat Phelan, it might not take much to push Eileen over the edge, and construct her ‘perfect man’ even if he’s all in her head, The Daily Star reports.
In a twist worthy of a psychological Hollywood blockbuster, she could have simply dreamed George up as a way to cope?
One Reddit user suggested: “So… what do we think George’s deal is?
“Why won’t he let Eileen come over? And/or why won’t he sleep at hers? Here are my possible predictions, based on Corrie lore and form…
“George is a figment of Eileen’s imagination and a lot of the street are just playing along. Her imagination can’t extend so far as imagining a whole house for him or a whole night with him, so it finds a loophole.”
However, others weren’t quite so convinced by the incredible theory, as one replied “As for a figment of Eileen's imagination, I think that is getting into Pam Ewing's dream territory.”
Another argued: “George being a figment of Eileen's imagination doesn't make sense because we see him interacting with people when Eileen isn't around, like when he was talking to Kelly about her parents.”
Thankfully it seemed the user was acting in good humour - but they couldn’t resist chucking in another theory which just could pan out.
They added: “George actually does have an anxious cat who can’t be left alone at night, but for some reason he keeps forgetting crucial information about said cat, leading to others thinking that he is lying. This will lead to George being diagnosed with dementia or some other condition that causes misremembering.”
Responding to that theory, one fan replied: “Eileen has already been in a storyline where she’s dated someone with a partner that had dementia. Surely they wouldn’t repeat that again?”
But another argued: “Has that ever stopped the writers before?”
Eileen previously dated fireman Paul Kershaw, who was introduced to the ITV cobbles to help clear the wreckage of the 2010 tram crash, and whose wife Lesley was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Sadly, the pair drifted apart, with Paul departing the cobbles in 2013.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8pm on Virgin Media One.
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