Coronation Street star Leanne Battersby says there is ‘trouble ahead’ as the downfall ‘begins’

Coronation Street star Jane Danson has said there is “trouble ahead” as Rowan Cuncliffe's downfall appears to be beginning in the ITV soap. As viewers will know, Leanne Battersby and her mentor have been trying to persuade Amy Barlow to join the Institute and part with her inheritance.

In scenes aired on Monday night (August 26), Leanne was seen visiting Rowan, who explained to her that Amy was uploading and considering investing in the resource centre, and he urged Leanne to ask her partner Nick Tilsley to do the same.

When Amy uploaded her video, Leanne urged her to relive her trauma to chase away the negativity. But when Amy vented, Leanne was shocked to realise Rowan was recording her. Amy then revealed that she wanted to speak to her grandfather, Ken Barlow, about releasing her inheritance for investment – but he told her he wasn't interested.

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Later that week, when Leanne insists Amy is ready for her malware session, a blindfolded Amy is horrified as the members bombard her with insults. Leanne assures her it will be worth it in the end, but Amy is too desperate and runs out.

Later, Tracy Barlow and Nick will confront Rowan at the Chariot Square Hotel, determined to expose him. Tracy declares that they will take their story to the Gazette. However, Rowan urges Leanne to convince Amy to call off her attack, pointing out that now that she is senior, her loyalty to the Institute takes precedence over any relationship she has with Amy, leaving her torn.

Spoilers for next week's episode of Corrie: After offering Amy her old job at the bistro, Leanne urges her to abandon her plans to sue the Institute. But will Amy agree?

Later in the salon, Amy receives a voice message from an unknown number, listens to it in horror and runs out. Meanwhile, Leanne meets with Rowan and while he is called to reception, she searches his laptop and comes across a file called “Leanne” and one called “Nick & Toyah”. What has Leanne stumbled upon? Later, Leanne calls Nick into the bistro. What does she know?

Speaking about the upcoming scenes, Jane, who has played Leanne on Corrie for more than two decades, said: “The cracks are starting to show. Leanne still believes in herself, that the institute is good for her and makes her happy. The malware session, which she found quite difficult, was even worse for Amy to actually watch.”

“Seeing Amy break down and seeing her be a little more vulnerable than Leanne expected was tough. Afterward, Rowan tells Leanne this is all your fault because she wasn't emotionally prepared for it, and Leanne knows there's a grain of truth in that. She sort of fast-forwarded the levels to get Amy there, whereas Leanne's journey was a little more grueling over a longer period of time.

“Now she thinks maybe it wasn't right for Amy, but let's look on the positive side and focus on the Resource Center and how it will really help other people. The way Leanne sees it is that Amy didn't give people the chance to rebuild her like they did her. She felt great, so she's clinging on to it even though deep down she might have doubts.”

When asked if Leanne might feel guilty about introducing Amy to the Institute in the first place, Jane said: “We see everything falling apart around her. Her relationship with Nick is extremely strained, her relationship with Rowan is not what it used to be. He's not as nice to her as he used to be and she reacts to him differently than before.”

“She still holds on to the idea that the Institute is a good thing, but deep down she knows something is wrong. Amy is a very young, vulnerable child, she is connected to Leanne through her family, through Oliver, so she feels extra protection. Amy is Oliver's sister, so this feels wrong. There are multiple levels to this.”

While Corrie viewers will have to wait and see what happens and whether Leanne finally recognises Rowan for who he really is, when asked if Leanne might question everything in the future if Rowan is exposed, Jane said: “I really don't know.

“I would definitely say there's trouble ahead for her because you can't go through all that and just be OK. What she's been through has to have left scars. I imagine she's also going to feel a little stupid because she invested in a friendship that she thought was real and that's obviously going to have some kind of psychological impact later on.”