Coronation Street Alya’s £50k Demand Pushes Idris Into Risky Move

Alya Nazir’s decision over Speed Daal is set to become the trigger for Idris Sharma’s increasingly risky behaviour in Coronation Street, after she names the price she wants for her share of the business. Idris is determined to make the deal happen, but discovering he is thousands of pounds short leaves him searching for a much faster way to raise the money.

Alya tells Idris that she wants £50,000 for her share of Speed Daal, putting a clear figure on what it will take for him to move forward with his plans. Idris quickly realises he is £15,000 short, creating a major obstacle just as the possibility of securing the restaurant appears to be within reach.

Instead of accepting that he cannot currently afford Alya’s asking price, Idris begins looking for another solution. His attention turns to Ollie when he learns that he is an experienced poker player, and an unusual money-making idea starts to take shape.

Idris arranges a private poker game at Speed Daal and asks Ollie to take part, but he has no intention of simply leaving the outcome to luck. He plans for the odds to favour Ollie, offering to provide his money for the game and allowing Ollie to keep a share of the winnings if he delivers the result Idris needs.

The lengths Idris is prepared to go to become even clearer when £5,000 borrowed from Leanne Battersby becomes part of the scheme. Leanne does not know what her money is being used for, while Idris appears convinced there is little real danger because he believes he has arranged the game in his favour.

Brody Michaelis and Lauren Bolton help prepare Speed Daal for the poker night, with Lauren overhearing Idris giving instructions to Ollie. Kit Green and Fiona Middleton later take their places at the table, leaving Idris watching closely as the plan he created begins to play out.

The game eventually comes down to Ollie and Fiona, with Ollie securing the victory Idris had been hoping for. On paper, Idris appears to have found a way around the £15,000 shortfall that threatened his hopes of meeting Alya’s price.

However, the way he goes about solving that problem quickly proves just as important as the money itself. Brody has been secretly drinking during the game and, after Idris confronts him, he retaliates by telling Leanne about what has been happening.

Leanne is furious when she discovers Idris used money she lent him as part of the poker scheme. Idris later tries to justify his actions by arguing that her £5,000 was never really at risk because the game had been set up in his favour, but Leanne makes clear that she is far from convinced by his reasoning.

Alya’s £50,000 asking price therefore sets off a chain of decisions that could cost Idris much more than he expected. His determination to secure Speed Daal may have pushed him towards finding the money, but the methods he uses to get there leave his relationship with Leanne facing a serious test.

Coronation Street airs on ITV and is available to stream on ITVX. For more Weatherfield news, previews and theories, visit the Coronation Street Hub on SoapLandTV. Images: ITV