Coronation Street viewers were thrilled to see Bernie Winter make an emotional Christmas Day return.
Bernie, played by Jane Hazlegrove, recently faced a heartbreaking twist after she was sentenced to three months in prison for handling stolen goods.
In the ITV soap, Bernie had been shifting stolen items in a bid to help son Paul Foreman, played by Peter Ash, who is dying from motor neurone disease (MND).
At trial, Bernie had wanted to plead not guilty but the police had photographic evidence of her stealing the goods and so was advised to plead guilty.
This resulted in her being sentenced to three months in prison and potentially missing her son Paul’s last Christmas.
Coronation Street viewers were thrilled to see Bernie Winter make an emotional Christmas Day return
Bernie, played by Jane Hazlegrove, recently faced a heartbreaking twist after she was sentenced to three months in prison for handling stolen goods
However, on Christmas Day, Bernie made an unexpected return via video call as she called her family from the prison to catch up with them.
In the sweet scene, Bernie filled her family in on the day’s festivities and heard about her families.
Bernie said of her day: ‘Yeah, the food was alright! It’s free, so can’t complain! Is that Away in a Manger you’re playing? That used to be your two’s [Gemma Winter and Paul] favourite’, and the family then all sung the festive carol together.
ITV viewers were glad to see Bernie’s return to the Cobbles and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their delight.
One said: ‘Bernie video calling her family at Christmas #Corrie.’
Another added: ‘The Winter – Browns having a sing song with Bernie from prison. Best scene of the episode. #Corrie.
In March, Paul was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and has since been told he could have his last Christmas with his family.
Despite hopes for a last-minute cure, Paul had been told by doctors he only has six to twelve months to live.
Paul’s husband Billy has been determined to make the most of their final months together, with actor Daniel Brocklebank saying: ‘Their time together is finite and of course they don’t know when that is going to be. They just make the best of it.
However, on Christmas Day, Bernie made an unexpected return via video call as she called her family from the prison to catch up with them
In the sweet scene, Bernie filled her family in on the day’s festivities, she said: ‘Yeah, the food was alright! It’s free, so can’t complain!’
ITV viewers were glad to see Bernie’s return to the Cobbles and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their delight
‘Paul’s debilitation is changing all the time and getting worse all the time.
‘So Billy is obviously not just trying to be there for him and help him with the physical depletions, it’s also the emotional changes and everything else that comes with that. So I think actually they just kind of hunker down and get on with it.’
Motor neurone disease is caused when nerves in the brain and spinal cord — which are needed to walk, speak and breathe — stop working properly.
As the condition progresses, sufferers find that all of these actions become more difficult or impossible.
Bernie actress Jane first joined the ITV soap four years ago in 2019, starring as the mother of twins Gemma and Paul.
Previously, she appeared on Corrie in the 1980s, where she played teenager Sue Clayton.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
