Episode 5405 (23rd December 2002)

Plot
Emily is looking really ill - Richard is quietly pleased. Sunita tells Peter and Shelley that she would like to join them for Christmas Dinner at the Barlows. Tyrone and Kirk follow Jason to work and to their delight find out he's one of Santa's elves in a department store grotto. They go and get Eileen and Todd so they can see Jason in his elf costume too. Toyah persuades Hayley she should join them for Christmas lunch. Richard has a meeting with Keith Greenacre, the bank manager, who tells him that he will allow Richard another month and then he will start bankruptcy proceedings. Peter and Shelley's engagement party takes place in the Rovers. Peter gives Shelley a ring, she's delighted. Peter's old Navy friends turn up and so does Ciaran McCarthy. Ciaran says he wants to be friends again but Peter throws him out. The Hillmans leave for the pantomime. Audrey and Archie let themselves into the Hillmans' house and start going through Richard's papers and computer. Audrey discovers that he has got Gail to re-mortgage the house and that he has a lot of money tied up in Emily's house. Bethany spills a drink in the car and the Hillmans return home so that Sarah and Gail can change their clothes. They catch Audrey and Archie red-handed. Audrey pleads with Gail to see Richard for what he is, a murderer and a crook but Gail throws her mother out saying she's mad.

Regular cast

 * Archie Shuttleworth - Roy Hudd
 * Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls
 * Sunita Parekh - Shobna Gulati
 * Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
 * Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire
 * Richard Hillman - Brian Capron
 * Deirdre Rachid - Anne Kirkbride
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * Blanche Hunt - Maggie Jones
 * Kevin Webster - Michael Le Vell
 * Tyrone Dobbs - Alan Halsall
 * Jason Grimshaw - Ryan Thomas
 * Kirk Sutherland - Andrew Whyment
 * Toyah Battersby - Georgia Taylor
 * Shelley Unwin - Sally Lindsay
 * David Platt - Jack P. Shepherd
 * Gail Hillman - Helen Worth
 * Sarah Platt - Tina O’Brien
 * Hayley Cropper - Julie Hesmondhalgh
 * Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden
 * Todd Grimshaw - Bruno Langley
 * Rita Sullivan - Barbara Knox
 * Janice Battersby - Vicky Entwistle
 * Fred Elliott - John Savident
 * Mick Hopwood - Ian Gain
 * Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver
 * Ciaran McCarthy - Keith Duffy]]

Guest cast

 * Keith Greenacre - James Nickerson
 * Andy Jennings - Keith Newby