Coronation Street spoilers: David to catch Kylie buying drugs, reveals Jack P Shepherd

David, who has become increasingly suspicious about Kylie’s erratic behaviour, will confide in Eva (Catherine Tyldesley) during scenes to be shown next week. And when Eva then takes David to Kylie’s old haunt the Dog & Dun, the pair are left horrified when they spy her buying a wrap of speed.

“It’s a massive shock for David,” says actor Jack P Shepherd. “He sees this guy passing Kylie drugs. And then David follows Kylie into the toilets where he catches her read handed. It was tricky to film because Paula was six months pregnant at the time. I wanted to burst into the toilets and throw her around, but obviously I couldn’t do that, so I grabbed her head pushed her against the wall. It needed to be big. It had to be an extreme reaction to show how David’s feeling.”

Following the confrontation, Eva beseeches Kylie to tell David the full extent of her past drug addiction so he can help her, threatening that if Kylie doesn’t come clean to David then she’ll tell him all. At breaking point, Kylie admits to David that she tried all sorts of drugs before she met him, but that she’s now turned her life around and hates herself for what she’s done. So how does David react to the confession?

“He’s shocked and disgusted, but she still doesn’t really tell him the full extent of her addiction,” continues the actor. “She keeps trying to say that she’s only done it a couple of times, but David knows she’s lying. However, he looks at the kids and he doesn’t know what to do – he can’t bring himself to throw her out.”

Of course, one vital piece of the puzzle about which David remains ignorant is the fact that Kylie’s drug dealer is her ex-boyfriend Callum (Sean Ward): “David has no idea who Callum is – right up until Christmas Day, David assumes Kylie’s dealer is Macca and she lets him believe that.”

We know, though, what David is capable of when he comes under threat, so might we see the return of that bad boy side to his character should his family set-up be placed in jeopardy?

“He’d definitely be prepared to take Callum on. He might need a ladder, but he’d certainly try,” says Shepherd. “He’d think of some evil plan to lure Callum in, maybe by pretending that they’re friends and then wait till his back is back is turned and then hit him with a lead pipe. If it came down to straight-on fist fight, then my money would have to be on Callum. But if David thought about it and put his evil genius into practice, then my money would be on David!”

So with all these tensions threatening to bubble over, what kind of Christmas can we expect in the Platt house this year? “Well, David wants him, Kylie, Max and Lily sitting down to a family Christmas. That’s all he wants. Surely it’s not too much to ask? But I’m not sure he’s going to get it. Expect agony, heartache, a drama, a punch-up. And snow.”

You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's drama on Coronation Street below