Coronation Street has aired an explosive argument between Eileen Grimshaw and George Shuttleworth as the pair drifted apart ahead of Eileen’s exit from the soap.

Earlier this week, Eileen’s sister Julie died following a battle with cancer, leading the police to question Eileen, suspecting her of helping Julie in an assisted dying plan.

In today’s episode, George told Todd he wished he had embalmed Julie’s body as it would ruin the police’s upcoming autopsy. Todd urged George to do it for the sake of Eileen.

After Todd lied to Craig, saying the body had already been embalmed, George got to work on embalming Julie while Todd kept a lookout.

With the door unlocked, Craig arrived at the undertakers where he caught George red handed in the middle of the embalming process.

“You knew that there was going to be an autopsy, yet here you are about to tamper with the evidence,” Craig said, accusing George of sabotaging the autopsy.

Related: Best film and TV tours for 2025

Craig took George to the police station for questioning and when George returned home Eileen was waiting to speak to him.

Eileen accused George of thinking she helped Julie to die, saying: “Your behaviour has done nothing but make me look more guilty.”

When George told Eileen that he and Todd had only tried to embalm Julie to protect Eileen, Eileen said: “Oh, my God. You think I did it. You actually believe that I had a part in my sister’s death.”

Related: Coronation Street star confirms who ‘saves’ Eileen in emotional exit plot

Later, when Brian asked if Julie had left Eileen anything in her will, Eileen kept quiet about Julie’s life insurance policy, leaving George to question why.

George and Eileen got into a heated argument, with Eileen accusing George of making matters worse by looking like her accomplice.

“Oh, when are you going to get it through your thick skull that I’ve done nothing wrong,” Eileen screamed at George, throwing a mug at him, which smashed on the wall. “Get out of my sight,” she added.