Julia announced the news of her pregnancy back in May, and she went on maternity leave just last month after filming dramatic scenes for the Christmas period. According to the Sun, Julia’s character Shona will be shot and left in a coma, in order to accommodate the star’s absence. Shona will be gravely injured in dramatic scenes airing on Christmas Day, when a fight breaks out between Gary Windass and Derek Milligan. The incident will lead to heart-breaking hospital scenes as Shona’s husband David Platt, played by Jack P Shepherd, struggles to come to terms with what has happened.
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The TV star plays Shona Ramsey on Coronation Street
A TV source confirmed, “It’s an exciting storyline, with tensions running sky-high. There is always a battle between Corrie and the rival BBC soap to see who can have the most extreme Christmas Day episode, and ITV producers have pulled out all the stops to bring in the most viewing figures. It’s a risky storyline touching on gun crime, but it breaks the mould and will have fans talking.”