Coronation Street's Audrey 'set for shock romance' with resident - but fans 'switch off'

Fans of Coronation Street believe they've figured out the next romantic interest for Audrey Roberts on the show.

The character, portrayed by Sue Nicholls, is a television icon, having first appeared in 1979. Audrey arrived on the scene as Gail's (Helen Worth) mother and quickly became a beloved figure.

Over the decades, fans have experienced both sorrow and happiness with Audrey, including her marriage to Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley) in 1985 and his unfortunate passing in 1999. They've also seen Audrey become a great-grandmother to characters like Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) and observed her working alongside grandson David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) in Audrey's hair salon.

Last year, she was left devastated when her son and serial killer Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) passed away. Like her daughter, Audrey has had a tumultuous love life on the famous street, reports the Liverpool Echo.

After Alf's death, she began a relationship with butcher Fred Elliott (John Savident). She was also engaged to former male escort and swindler Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers). Lewis eventually reformed in order to marry Audrey, but died suddenly in 2019.

Since then, Audrey hasn't had a significant other - but soap watchers think that might be about to change. Sharing their theories online, viewers speculate that she and fellow soap legend Ken Barlow (William Roache) could embark on a romance.

A Corrie Facebook fan page sparked discussion with a viewer suggesting: "I've just had a mad thought. Or is it? ... What if Audrey and Ken became a couple? They are both single and about the right age for each other. What do you folks think? Or do you think it's a no-go? ".

The idea didn't sit well with some fans. One person commented: "I've been thinking the same but I really hope not!" Another declared emphatically: "No way. If they do that I'll stop watching."

Meanwhile, a third added: "I've always wondered why they never got together tbh." And someone else opined: "Audrey is too much high maintenance for Ken."

While the character of Audrey has had her fair share of on-screen romantic entanglements, actor Sue Nicholls, who portrays Audrey, experienced a more serene love story away from the cameras with fellow actor Mark Eden.

Referred to as her "soulmate", Sue and Mark, who shared screen time together on the popular ITV show, were happily married until his death in 2021. The couple first crossed paths on the Cobbles in the 1980s when Mark took on the role of notorious baddie Alan Bradley, and Sue began portraying Audrey. Their chemistry was undeniable from the start, resulting in a real-life romance straight out of a storybook.

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX