Coronation Street viewers are speculating a new twist could be in the way involving Mason Radcliffe and Joel Deering.

Both villainous characters have been caught up in huge drama in recent months, and now some viewers think there’s a link between them. A spoiler for next week teased Mason could expose Joel as being the person Betsy Swain has been blackmailing for money.

After a run-in between the pair this week that saw Joel attack Betsy, next week Betsy will try to hide bruising on her arms. Betsy has cottoned onto Joel’s “interest in young girls” and has been asking for cash to buy her silence.

Betsy and Mason have grown close, and next week he’s concerned when he realises someone has hurt her. He knows it’s the guy she’s been getting money out of and urges her to expose him and tell her mum DS Swain.

Some viewers are wondering though if there’s a reason for Mason’s sudden introduction into this storyline. There’s a theory that Mason and Joel know each other and may even be related.

Mason has talked about having brothers in the past, while we haven’t met them and do not know their names. Mason appeared to hint one of his brothers was in prison, but now fans think Joel could be the second brother.

Mason claimed he used to live with one of his siblings, and that his sibling left him homeless. This happened around the same time Joel moved Lauren Bolton into his flat without telling anyone.

This tied in with the Betsy scenes has left some fans guessing Joel is the brother who kicked Mason out. Taking to social media one fan posted: “Mason used to live with his brother. His brother bullies him and made him homeless. Could Mason’s brother be Joel?”

Another asked: “Did Joel kick Mason out so Lauren could move in?” as a third fan questioned if Joel had been Mason’s solicitor recently, and if they’d been in scenes together. It seems unlikely that Mason and Joel are brothers, but it hasn’t stopped fans predicting a major twist ahead of Joel’s downfall.

Might Mason figure out the truth about Joel, brother or not, and trigger his comeuppance? Joel’s partner Dee-Dee Bailey is also growing suspicious, and next week she realises Joel has been lying about a certain piece of jewellery.

Not only does an email about a Belfast trip spark concern, but when she finds out Joel didn’t really purchase a charm bracelet for his young daughter Maeve after all, leading to his ex Emily warning Dee-Dee about his secret flat, Dee-Dee takes action. Dee-Dee lets herself into Joel’s flat and searches the cupboards convinced he’s having an affair, but what will she find?