Episode 5438 (10th February 2003)

Plot
Karen starts her new job as supervisor at Underworld. Janice makes her life hell. Hayley is quietly pleased that Karen is having such a tough time. Peter and Shelley arrive back from Mexico. Shelley is put out to hear that Ciaran has moved in with Sunita and is thinking of opening his own cafe. Against Fred's advice Ashley goes to the clinic with Joshua to have the paternity test. Angela is feeling happier and more accepted by the factory girls. Janice and Fiz bitch about Karen, their ex-friend, who's crossed the management line. Shelley becomes suspicious about the amount of leave Ciaran seems to have from the Navy. Janice announces to the whole pub that Maria got herself pregnant by Toyah's boyfriend. Maria runs out in floods of tears. Karen and Joe are having a laugh together in the pub. Steve is jealous. Peter advises Ciaran to give himself up to the Navy but Ciaran ignores him. Karen approaches Janice hoping to make up with her but Janice makes it clear that Karen is no longer a mate and throws her beer all over her. Karen is livid.

Regular cast

 * Karen McDonald - Suranne Jones
 * Steve McDonald - Simon Gregson
 * Les Battersby - Bruce Jones
 * Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
 * Shelley Unwin - Sally Lindsay
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * Sunita Parekh - Shobna Gulati
 * Angela Nelson - Kathryn Hunt
 * Fiz Brown - Jennie McAlpine
 * Hayley Cropper - Julie Hesmondhalgh
 * Janice Battersby - Vicky Entwistle
 * Joe Carter - Jonathan Wrather
 * Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold
 * Fred Elliott - John Savident
 * Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls
 * Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden
 * Archie Shuttleworth - Roy Hudd
 * Gail Hillman - Helen Worth
 * Ciaran McCarthy - Keith Duffy
 * Roy Cropper - David Neilson
 * Martin Platt - Sean Wilson
 * Maria Sutherland - Samia Ghadie
 * Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs
 * Tracy Preston - Kate Ford
 * Mick Hopwood - Ian Gain
 * Richard Hillman - Brian Capron

Guest cast
None