CORONATION Street viewers were caught off-guard as one show favourite abruptly left the cobbles mid-episode.
The moment came out of nowhere as it was nestled among the on-going drama of Lauren Bolton's disappearance and the return of Nathan Curtis.
Fans who tuned into last night's episode of the ITV soap saw how Alya Nazir, played by Sair Khan, quit Weatherfield in order to head to Dublin for her six-month work placement with Fabian's law firm.
WhilE viewers had been expecting Alya to leave due to actress Sair's pregnancy, the exit occurred with little-to-no fanfare as she was quietly waved off by her gran, Yasmeen.
Her abrupt temporary exit came just two episodes after the show attempted to explore a new romantic connection for Alya with her old boss Adam Barlow.
The pair shared an impassioned snog with one another and fans had been hoping to see if the relationship would go the distance and blossom into something exciting and long-lasting.
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However, the romance story has now quickly been put on the back foot as Alya seeks pastures new in Ireland.
Despite the sudden exit, it seemed that the soap could have been predicting that the love story will pick up right where it left off upon Sair's return to work after maternity leave.
Yasmeen hinted that Alya was pining for Adam as she told her granddaughter: "I can sense the tension between the both of you."
As Alya insisted that any growing feeling with Adam would have to come to an end now she was moving away, she also insinuated that she wouldn't be on the lookout for love overseas either.
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Yasmeen suggested to her: "Maybe you can find a nice Irish lad without complications?"
However, Alya spat back at her gran: "Why do I have to find any boy? I'd rather just go and do my job."
As she got into her taxi to head to the airport, Alya opened up the book on law teachings that Adam had gifted to her as a leaving present.
Inside read the message "Love Adam x" as Alya smiled sweetly upon glancing down at the page.
Could Alya and Adam be Weatherfield's hottest new couple upon her return?
Or will they always be known as right person, wrong time?
Who lives where on Coronation Street?
Here is where all of the residents of Weatherfield's main street live
- 1 Coronation Street - The Barlow family (Ken, Tracy, Steve, Amy)
- 3 Coronation Street - The Bailey family (Aggie, Ed, Michael)
- 5 Coronation Street - The Winter-Brown family (Gemma, Chesney, Joseph and the Quads)
- 7 Coronation Street - The Alahan family (Dev, Asha, Aadi)
- 9 Coronation Street - The Dobbs family (Tyrone, Fiz, Evelyn, Cassie, Hope, Ruby)
- 11 Coronation Street - The Grimshaw family (Eileen, Todd, George, Mary, Sean, Dylan)
- 13 Coronation Street - The Webster family (Kevin, Abi, Jack, Alfie)
- 15a Coronation Street - Dee-Dee Bailey and Adam Barlow
- 2a Coronation Street - Craig Tinker
- 4 Coronation Street - The Metcalfe family (Sally, Tim)
- 6 Coronation Street - The Nazir family (Yasmeen, Alya, Stu, Eliza)
- 8 Coronation Street - The Platt family (Gail, David, Shona, Max, Lily)
- 10a Coronation Street - Rita Tanner
- 12 Coronation Street - Brian Packham