Gemma Winter-Brown (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and her husband Chesney Brown
(Sam Aston) are facing the unthinkable – being evicted from their home at number 5 Coronation Street.
The couple have struggled to make ends meet and keep their five children fed and clothed. Despite both being hard-working, and with Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove) chipping in wherever she can, the money coming in hasn’t been enough to cover their basic needs.
When their boiler broke down it was another huge blow, but Dee-Dee (Channique Sterling-Brown) advised them that their landlord was legally obliged to sort the problem out.
Unfortunately, although the landlord had the boiler fixed he also decided that it was time he looked for some new tenants – possibly ones who weren’t so fussed about having a functioning boiler.
He served the family with an eviction notice. This time not even Dee-Dee’s legal expertise was able to help them, as she told them the landlord was within his rights to take the action he had and they should start looking for somewhere else to live.
This has all been hugely stressful to the couple. It’s not easy to find a house to rent with enough room for five children, let alone something they can afford. Bernie offered them a bit of a lifeline by offering to have the kids staying with her while Chesney and Gemma sort out a permanent solution.
In upcoming episodes Gemma is upset when she hears that the landlord is sending someone round to view the house. But there’s a bit of a surprise for Summer (Harriet Bibby) when she sees who the estate agent brings round to view number 5. It’s police officer Kit Green (Jacob Roberts).
Kit is, of course, Gemma’s brother. He was first introduced to Coronation Street as part of the team investigating the disappearance of Lauren Bolton, but it wasn’t long before it was revealed that he was also Bernie’s long-lost son Zodiac.
He’s been getting to know Gemma and Paul, while still harbouring huge anger at Bernie for abandoning him as a child. He’s already shown that he’s willing to bend the rules as he helped Gemma to avoid prosecution after she stole a pair of shoes for her daughter.
What’s his plan for number 5? Could he be the answer to Gemma and Chesney’s problems? Or does he have another agenda?