For years Maria Connor (played by Samia Longchambon) has worked under Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) as a hairdresser at her salon, but lately she has craved more and recently decided to join forces with Claudia Colby (Rula Lenska), who asked her to run one of her salons in Weatherfield.
Maria’s dream of running a salon will finally become a reality as Carla Connor (Alison King) will offer to support her financially this week.
But when Carla has to suddenly back out, Maria will be left panicking that she won’t be able to come up with the funds she needs.
Fortunately Coronation Street l egend Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) is on hand to help out the mother-of-one as she has recently come into some money.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Samia explained: “Carla gets an offer to buy back the Underworld factory at a knock-down price, so she pulls out of investing in the salon.
“Maria is a bit upset, but she completely understands.”
Desperate to fulfil her dream, Maria meets with Claudia to ask if she can extend her deadline to raise the money.
As Maria is having a conversation with Claudia, Rita overhears her saying she needs an investor and offers to pitch in.
Samia, 36, added: “Rita has come into a bit of money and doesn’t know what to do with it, so she sees Maria’s salon as a great opportunity.
“Maria is over-the-moon, because she’s known Rita for years and Rita is happy to be a sleeping partner, so as far as Maria is concerned Rita isn’t going to try to take over. It’s the ideal scenario.”
Teasing the inevitable conflict between Audrey and Maria, Samia described the new storyline as “old-school Corrie”.
“It feels like a proper old-school Corrie storyline, where the women are all bickering. I couldn’t ask for more,” Samia quipped.
The soap star, who joined Coronation Street in 2000, also confessed to having no hairdressing experience despite playing a hairstylist for more than 15 years.
In fact, Samia has come close to chopping off a co-stars hair because her “knowledge of hairdressing is very limited”.
Recalling the moment she nearly ruined Kate Ford’s mane, she joked: “I’ve had so many near misses when we’ve been filming.
“I nearly cut Kate Ford’s fringe off once.
“I had the actual hairdressing scissors, and I was shaking afterwards, saying: ‘Kate, I nearly gave you a tuft instead of a fringe.’
“I should probably have done a hairdressing course around 18 years ago when I joined the show. For years I got away with folding towels, but I’ve had to up my game!”
She added: “I like doing plaits in my daughter’s hair, but that’s as far as it goes.”
Coronation Street continues tonight at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
