Coronation Street has revisited the long-running tension between Eva Price and Maria Windass, as the pair clashed once again during this Friday’s (24 July) episode of the ITV soap. While their latest disagreement was relatively minor, it served as a reminder that there is no love lost between the two women, even years after their explosive feud.
The drama unfolded in Audrey’s Salon after Maria returned from visiting Sarah Platt in prison, where she remains on remand following her arrest over Theo Silverton’s death. The visit left Maria deeply shaken, particularly as she’s plagued by doubts over her marriage with Gary Windass – who helped Sarah cover up Theo’s murder.
Back on the cobbles, Maria headed to the hair salon, walking in on David working on Eva’s hair. After a tense exchange of words between her and Eva, Maria’s bad mood spilled over later in the day when she headed to the Rovers Return, hoping to take her mind off everything that had happened.
But once there, it was clear Maria wasn’t herself. And when Eva suggested she returned home, Maria admitted she didn’t want to. In a surprising move, Eva extended an olive branch to Maria and offered a chat – but a drunken Maria simply walked out after accidentally breaking a glass.
While the exchange ultimately ended on a relatively subdued note, it reminded viewers of the pair’s complicated history, which stretches back years. The rivalry dates back to Eva and Maria’s bombshell love triangle with Aidan Connor.
The tension all began in 2016, after Maria embarked on a secret affair with Aidan while he was in a relationship with Eva. Although Maria hoped Aidan would leave Eva for her, he ultimately chose to stay with his then-fiancee.
Determined to get revenge after discovering the betrayal, Eva secretly plotted to expose both Maria and Aidan. She even faked a pregnancy as part of an elaborate scheme to ensure Aidan went through with their wedding. But everything finally unravelled in true Corrie fashion during Eva and Aidan’s wedding day.
Moments before the couple were due to exchange their vows, Maria exposed Eva’s fake pregnancy in front of their guests herself. Furious, Eva retaliated by revealing that Maria and Aidan had been having an affair behind her back, before the argument descended into one of Coronation Street‘s most memorable catfights.
The two women ended up wrestling each other in a fountain right outside the venue, with stunned wedding guests watching as their mutual resentment boiled over. Aidan and Eva’s wedding never went ahead, bringing one of the show’s biggest love triangles to a dramatic conclusion.
Since then, Eva and Maria’s relationship has remained cordial at best as neither has never forgotten the role the other played in the collapse of Aidan’s relationship with Eva. The pair have since continued to exchange the odd sarcastic remark, even if their rivalry never quite reached the heights of their infamous fountain fight.
But with Eva choosing sympathy rather than confrontation during this Friday’s instalment, and her marriage to Ben Driscoll being one of the strongest on the cobbles, there could still be room for both women to push their differences aside.
And with Sarah’s prison storyline set to continue in the weeks ahead, as she even confessed to DS Swain she killed Theo, Maria’s emotions are unlikely to settle any time soon – particularly as Gary Windass could become another suspect in the murder investigation.
