Coronation Street‘s Steve McDonald is shocked by heartbreaking news next week, as he discovers that his dad Jim does not have long to live. With the pair estranged for several years, will Steve want to make amends before time runs out?

The character of Jim was last seen on the ITV soap in 2018 – but future episodes will see the door close on any potential return as Steve’s father passes away off camera.

“The last time Jim was in Weatherfield, he tried to pull off a sick scam by pretending that Steve’s late sister Katie was alive and well, so it’s hardly surprising that Steve isn’t leaping to his father’s side,” recalls our Corrie insider.

“But your dad is your dad, so will Steve regret it if he doesn’t reconnect?”

Steve’s girlfriend Cassie Plummer certainly feels that way, telling him that he should take the opportunity to say goodbye.

Whether Steve does see his dad remains to be seen, but it seems that Jim is still keen to reconnect when Steve later misses a call from his dad while out on the lash.

As his hangover subsides, Steve finally declares that he is going to put Jim behind him. But while Cassie plans a big surprise to lift his spirits, can Steve really escape his dad’s dark shadow so easily?

Earlier this month, word leaked out that Corrie bosses were planning to kill off Jim. Charles Lawson, who played the soap hardman, later confirmed the news on social media – revealing that show producers had let him know a few months ago.

It’s thought that the subsequent storyline will explore Steve’s grief for his dad.

Meanwhile, Claire Sweeney – who plays Cassie – has recently announced that she’s leaving Corrie, so there’ll be other changes ahead in Steve’s life too.

Show chiefs have confirmed that Cassie’s final scenes will air in the summer – and until then, “she will continue to make her presence felt in Weatherfield, leading up to a great exit storyline”.