Anna Windass & Owen Armstrong

[lizann]

To be fair, he was bad and unlikeable when he arrived. It's the bit in between where he's been different.

but he will become extra bad and unlikeable to facilitate his exit

[lizann]

anna also becoming very unlikeable even more so than owen

[swmc66]

I hate that she thinks she has the moral high ground all the time. She needs to really look at her parenting skills.

[Dreweh]

Very true. Always thought she was quite a level headed and nice lady, she's had a great relationship with Roy, but recently shes been nothing but a stuck up snob.

[Perdita]

I can imagine Anna feels torn between the two ... she is ashamed and embarrassed by Gary's actions but also horrified by Roy's violence. She might blame her parenting skills and that will become more evident once Faye's storyline is coming up. Gary should talk to her about how he and Roy have managed to put things behind them, that might help her come to terms with it too

[swmc66]

Just watched Life on Mars and the actor who plays Owen was in there with a really bad wig. Cannot take him seriously now

[Dazzle]

Just watched Life on Mars and the actor who plays Owen was in there with a really bad wig. Cannot take him seriously now

I just searched and managed to find this picture:

[swmc66]

It was a really stupid role and he was called Toolbox!

[Perdita]

Coronation Street's Owen Armstrong is left in a panic next week when his ex-wife Linda arrives on his doorstep without warning.

Linda's sudden appearance is bad news for Owen, as he has never been entirely honest with his daughters Izzy and Katy about why their mum has been absent for so many years.

Here, Ian Puleston-Davies - who plays Owen - teases the trouble in store as his character's deception looks set to be exposed.

What is the history between Owen and Linda?
"They haven't seen each other for a very long time and I think Owen harboured a lot of bitterness towards her for many years because of what happened between them. I think it took him a long time to get past it. Owen has always told Izzy and Katy that Linda couldn't cope with family life and struggled a lot with the children and that's why she left them."

Why does Linda return after all this time?
"I think Linda has tried many times to get back in touch with the girls, but I think Owen has made it very clear to her that she's not welcome and that she should leave them alone. I imagine he's made it very difficult for Linda to get in touch over the years.

"I think Linda feels likes she has missed out on her girls growing up for long enough and wants to find them and rekindle their relationship. It was only a matter of time before she'd want to find them and give her side of the story."

How does Owen react when Linda turns up on his doorstep?
"He's in complete shock. He's horrified. Linda is the last person on his mind - so much time has passed and she has never just turned up before, so he's completely shellshocked. He demands to know what she wants and why she's here. His mind is going ten to the dozen over how he's going to handle this, but I think he knows he won't be able to keep her away from Izzy and Katy."

How do Katy and Izzy react to seeing their mother?
"They are understandably stunned. Katy was so small when her mother left that she doesn't even know who Linda is. She has no idea who this woman on the doorstep is. As far as they're concerned, their mother has never tried to get in touch so she's the last person they expect to see. They have managed to get on with their lives and for Katy especially she has no memory of her mother.

"Obviously Linda knows nothing about the girls and their lives, but Izzy is quite scathing and tells Linda that had she not abandoned them all she'd know all about their lives."

How worried is Owen when Linda accuses him of lying to the girls about the past?
"Owen hasn't been quite as honest with Katy and Izzy about their mother as he should have been, so when Linda then turns up, his immediate thoughts are that she will want to tell the girls the entire truth and that they'll think he's been lying to them all this time.

"Owen knows that things are about to blow up. The past has caught up with them all and I think he's very scared that it's all about to blow up at any minute."

What is the real truth?
"Owen has always told the girls that their mother walked out and abandoned them when they were little because she couldn't cope and that Izzy's disability was a lot to do with that. However, I'm not sure Owen has been quite as fair as he should have been when it came to telling them why she left - and we will find out the real reason.

"Linda made a mistake all them years ago and Owen was completely unable to forgive her for it. I think a few lies will be exposed during Linda's time in Weatherfield and that will shock Katy and Izzy."

Izzy and Katy's mother arrives
© ITV
Izzy and Katy's mother arrives

What consequences could the truth have on Owen's relationship with his daughters?
"It could change the dynamic completely. It has the potential to completely shatter the family as it stands and it will be another big blow to the strength of the Windasses. I think they'll both feel very deceived and lied to - especially as it's been so long. They may feel as though Owen hasn't given them a fair chance to make their own mind up about their mum."

Will Linda's arrival impact on Owen's relationship with Anna?
"When Linda first arrives, Anna is very wary of her because of everything she's heard about Linda - about her walking out on her family when her two daughters were only tiny. But when Anna maybe hears the truth, she will see it all in a different light.

"I don't think it's an easy situation for Anna. There runs the risk of her feeling threatened by Owen's ex-wife coming on the scene and I think Linda will unsettle the balance in the Windass home. Anna will feel let down that Owen maybe hasn't been completely honest with her about his past."

How does Owen feel when Katy later sees Linda behind his back?
"I think he feels betrayed and hurt. He has raised both Katy and Izzy single-handedly and I think he's scared out of his wits that they'll turn their back on him. They are his world and he feels completely threatened by Linda's arrival and the fact that Katy feels she has to see her mother behind his back without talking to him first."

How does Owen feel about the prospect of Linda being back on the scene permanently?
"It worries him immensely. For many years it's just been him and his girls, and now Linda's turned up, it's really set a cat amongst the pigeons. I think Owen worries about what her presence could potentially do to him and Anna too. Linda being around will obviously put a strain on the family and her staying in Weatherfield would prolong that."

[swmc66]

Still no excuse for being away for so long. If she is a successful business women with her head screwed on!