Coronation Street’s Julie Carp’s heartbreaking secret revealed as she makes bombshell return after 10 years

CORONATION Street’s Julie Carp’s devastating secret has been revealed – and it’s utterly heartbreaking.

The beloved icon – who is played by actress Katy Cavanagh in the ITV soap – made a shock return to the cobbles after 10 years last week.

ITV

Julie Carp revealed the heartbreaking truth about why she’s back[/caption]

ITV

Todd is devastated by the upcoming loss of his beloved aunt[/caption]

Fans were confused when Julie seemed desperate to leave Weatherfield before coming face to face with her sister Eileen Grimshaw.

But in today’s episode it was revealed that she has good reason – and it’s heartbreaking.

Having run into nephew Todd at the hotel and accidentally left her luggage behind for Todd to take home, Julie snuck into Eileen’s house to retrieve it.

Catching her and wondering why she was being so cagey, Todd opened her bag and pulled out a bag of pills.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea,” said George as he picked up Julie’s medical pack.

Todd, took and looked before saying: “Cancer?”

As Eileeen began to come in Julie begged them to keep quiet about what they’d discovered.

Instead she plastered on a smile and went to lunch with her sister, trying to cover up that she’d been in Weatherfield for a few days already.

After a few run-ins, Julie got through it and made her excuses to leave – insisting she had to leave for work.

Todd took her back to her hotel and they sat down to talk and she told him the truth of what happened.

“Sarcoma,” she told him. 

“That’s what the cancer’s called. It started in the soft tissue around my stomach.”

And sadly she told Todd it was terminal. 

“It’s stage four, it’s spread to my liver and lungs,” she said. “The chemo can slow it down but it can’t cure it.”

A tearful Todd said: “Oh Julie. Have they said how long you’ve got?”

“If I’m lucky I’ll see this summer,” she said. 

“Now you know why I didn’t want to stay. Last thing you need is me killing the vibes. 

“There’s no point crying about it. I’ve just got to make the most of the time I’ve got left. 

“I’m seeing some specialists in alternative palliative care, that’s why I’m here. It might buy me a few months but that’s it.”

Todd begged her to tell his mum but Julie insisted on keeping it a secret.

Darkest soap storylines

Over the years the likes of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street have all tried to try outdo each other with their outlandish plots in a bid to keep us tuning in each week. But here are some of the darkest that had fans in shock…

EastEnders: Tony grooming Whitney (2008-2009) – Tony King first appeared in Albert Square in 2008 as the boyfriend of Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer. But it was quickly revealed he was a paedophile who had been grooming vulnerable Whitney, Bianca’s adopted stepdaughter from a previous relationship, since she was 12. The shocking storyline attracted more than 200 complaints within a week of it beginning. Whitney waited until her 16th birthday to reveal the truth to a horrified Bianca, who called the police.

Emmerdale: Holly’s drug addiction and shock death (2010-2016) – In 2010, Holly Barton (played by Sophie Powles) became Emmerdale’s first teenage drug addict. The shocking storyline saw her taking cocaine on a night out before developing a deadly heroin habit. Parents John and Moira desperately tried to help get their daughter clean but when Holly returned in 2016, following a four-year absence, she quickly relapsed. Fans were left stunned and heartbroken when distraught Moira found Holly dead in her bed from a heroin overdose.

Hollyoaks: Luke’s rape (2000) – Actor Gary Lucy was just 17 when he took on this groundbreaking storyline, which saw his character Luke Morgan become soap’s first male rape victim. Luke had endured a long-running bullying campaign by football rival Mark Gibbs – who raped him after Luke stood up to him. Luke was left suicidal following the brutal attack, before opening up to his brother Adam. Gibbs was sentenced to eight years in prison. Gary won the Best Actor gong at the British Soap Awards in 2000 for his performance.

Coronation Street: Evil Richard Hillman (2001-2003) – Just a mere mention of ‘Richard Hillman’ is enough to send a shiver down the spines of soap fans. He is often ranked one of the most evil soap villains and it’s not hard to see why. The smooth-talking financial adviser bashed his ex-wife Patricia over the head with a shovel. In a bid to keep his mother-in-law Audrey quiet, he set fire to her house. And when Maxine caught him trying to murder Emily Bishop, he took a crowbar to her head. He made his exit from the cobbles in 2003 when he drove Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, and her family into the canal. They survived, but he didn’t.

She told him: “I’ve been perfectly fine by myself up until now. I don’t mean to burden her. 

“I want her to remember me how I was, not how I’ll become. Can you give me that?”