The future of Coronation Street's iconic boozer the Rovers Return has been hanging in the balance ever since it was taken over by Waterford's, with landlady Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) and her staff sacked without any notice.
The pub has remained close for refurbishment ever since, but Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney may have accidentally let slip who will take charge of the Rovers in a behind-the-scenes snap.
Claire, who joined the soap as Cassandra Plummer earlier this year, is part of the Dancing on Ice 2024 line-up and took to Instagram to announce her professional skating partner.
The soap star revealed that she had been paired with Dancing on Ice pro Colin Grafton and the duo posed outside the Rovers Return to share the news, along with the caption: "The wait is over… Team Claire & Colin is here."
However, fans may have noticed a huge clue that hints that Jenny Connor will return to her rightful place behind the bar.
Behind Claire and Colin in the picture, Jenny's name is seen above the door of the Rovers Return, seemingly confirming that she may be back as the landlady - or is it a red herring?
The former landlady was forced to sign over the lease to new owners after she struggled to keep the pub going during the cost of living crisis.
She had no choice but to put it up for sale and it was eventually bought by Waterford's, who closed it down for major refurbishment.
Jenny and her staff's contracts were terminated with immediate effect and they were left devastated at the loss of their livelihood and homes as they watched the pub being boarded up.
Executive producer Iain MacLeod has promised that the Rovers will return as he told What To Watch: "It's almost a character in its own right, the Rovers, so closing it has felt almost like a death, I think.
"It's almost as big a deal to me as any of the people that might have met their sticky end at the hands of Stephen Reid, the idea that the pub’s boarded up was horrifying, and even walking up the lot and seeing that, it's like a dagger to the heart."
He added: "So it's not going to stay closed for that long, in fact, it reopens on New Year's Eve, I think. But the interesting thing about it is the circumstances of it becoming open again are all tied up with Stephen’s legacy and somebody will do something that is at best naughty, at worst slightly criminal, to get their hands on the keys to the pub and reopen it."
“So it will reopen, but the reopening of it will be based on this slightly shaky foundation of a criminal act, shall we say."
Iain reassured fans that the Rovers won't have a drastic new look and will remain largely the same.
He said: “It's not going to look radically different. I think certain sets, I'm not saying they should never change, but I'd certainly feel like I don't want it to be modernised and gastro pubified or turned into a chain pub.
"Like I feel weirdly protective of Deirdre’s wallpaper in number one. I do feel like the Rover's decor, it’s going to be updated a touch but for the most part, I really like the look and feel of it at the moment.
“So it's going to reopen looking quite similar, but the circumstances of its ownership are going to be much more fraught.”
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITVX.
