Episode 5431 (31st January 2003)

Plot
Doreen and Derek leave to go back home. They suggest that Joshua should come with them to give Ashley a break but Ashley refuses. Sarah decides she's going to have two birthday parties, one for family and one for her mates. Ken goes to see Miss Johnson and hands in his resignation. He doesn't even turn up at the hearing as he thinks it's a foregone conclusion. Toyah tells Maria and Fiz that she's decided to move in with John Arnley. They are gutted but daren't say anything. Harry draws the raffle for the football shirt. Tommy wins it. Ashley pours his heart out to Fred and tells him of Maxine's one night stand with Matt Ramsden and how Joshua could be Matt's son. Fred is shocked. Ashley goes on to tell Fred that his biggest fear is that now Maxine has died Matt might insist on a paternity test. Should the test prove that Joshua is Matt's and not Ashley's he could take Joshua away from Ashley.

Regular cast

 * Fred Elliott - John Savident
 * Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold
 * Doreen Heavey - Prunella Gee
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * Deirdre Rachid - Anne Kirkbride
 * Toyah Battersby - Georgia Taylor
 * Maria Sutherland - Samia Ghadie
 * Fiz Brown - Jennie McAlpine
 * Sarah Platt - Tina O’Brien
 * Gail Hillman - Helen Worth
 * Candice Stowe - Nikki Sanderson
 * Richard Hillman - Brian Capron
 * Todd Grimshaw - Bruno Langley
 * Harry Flagg - Iain Rogerson
 * Kirk Sutherland - Andrew Whyment
 * Les Battersby - Bruce Jones
 * Martin Platt - Sean Wilson
 * Kevin Webster - Michael Le Vell
 * Angela Nelson - Kathryn Hunt
 * Craig Nelson - Richard Fleeshman
 * Tommy Nelson - Thomas Craig
 * Katy Nelson - Lucy-Jo Hudson

Guest cast

 * Derek Heavey - Richard Albrecht
 * John Arnley - Paul Warriner