Episode 6972 (22nd December 2008)

Plot
Peter has gone AWOL – no one has seen him since his drunken escapades yesterday and Ken is getting worried. Leanne eventually finds him at the flat sleeping off a hangover and unable to remember much about the previous day's events. She persuades him to get his act together and take teddy round to Simon at Ken and Deirdre’s.

Peter is ashamed as his son proudly performs his lines from the nativity play. Upset, Peter escapes to the back yard where he breaks down and tells Ken that he doesn’t think he can cope with being a dad.

Maria is furious when the police call round and tell her that they don’t have any evidence to lead them to think Tony killed Liam. But she's intrigued when later in the day, Jed arrives at the house and tells her he wants to talk to her about a murderer.

Christmas is coming and Lloyd and Steve are getting fat. Michelle decides that it's about time the pair of them lost a few pounds and sets them a slimming challenge – prompting Liz to invite Lloyd along to her Brazilian Crunch class.

Tyrone is not looking forward to Christmas without Molly so he’s pleased when she tells him that she has decided to move back in.

Elsewhere, plans are being made for Christmas dinner across the Street and when Norris wins a Polish Christmas hamper, Emily decides to invite WikiMary along but is less than impressed that Jed will be there too.

Regular cast

 * Leanne Battersby - Jane Danson
 * Deirdre Barlow - Anne Kirkbride
 * Maria Connor - Samia Smith
 * Jed Stone - Kenneth Cope
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * Blanche Hunt - Maggie Jones
 * Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
 * Wiki Dankowska - Wanda Opalinska
 * Rita Sullivan - Barbara Knox
 * Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden
 * Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire
 * Fiz Brown - Jennie McAlpine
 * Kelly Crabtree - Tupele Dorgu
 * Janice Battersby - Vicky Entwistle
 * Carla Gordon - Alison King
 * Tony Gordon - Gray O'Brien
 * Rosie Webster - Helen Flanagan
 * Steve McDonald - Simon Gregson
 * Lloyd Mullaney - Craig Charles
 * Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver
 * Liz McDonald - Beverley Callard
 * Simon Barlow - Alex Bain
 * Tyrone Dobbs - Alan Halsall
 * Molly Compton - Vicky Binns

Guest cast

 * DC Weller - Caroline Paterson