Coronation Street has given fans a major update on Lou Michaelis, just months after her dramatic departure from the soap.

The notorious mum-of-three, played by Farrel Hegarty, arrived in Weatherfield in February alongside her thug husband Mick (Joe Layton). The pair quickly caused chaos on the cobbles after moving into Mawdsley Street.

However, things took a dark turn in May when Mick brutally murdered soap legend Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) in a shocking drunken attack. It was also revealed that Mick was abusive towards his wife Lou.

Lou’s own shocking behaviour came to light when she attacked Gary Windass (Miley North) with a metal pole after he refused to be part of her desperate money extortion scheme.

After it emerged that Gary was critically ill in hospital, fans discovered that Lou had been keeping a vigil at his bedside, pretending to be his wife. However, her intentions were far from innocent – she was the one who had put him in hospital in the first place, reports the Daily Star.

Her secret was eventually exposed and she was arrested and sent to prison. Her children Brody (Ryan Mulvey), Joanie and Shanice were then taken in by Sally (Sally Dynevor) and Tim (Joe Duttine) Metcalfe.

In a further twist, Joanie was later taken away to stay with her aunt for a short time after social services discovered she was harming her younger sister Shanice.

This week, however, the soap dropped a significant update about Lou, revealing that she had to face court for brawling in prison. In Friday’s episode (November), Joanie made a welcome return to Sally’s, much to her siblings’ joy.

Adding to the soap’s ongoing drama, earlier this month, a Coronation Street writer seemed to hint at Lou’s impending return.

Speaking on the Stateside podcast, Jan McVerry revealed: “We brought in the Michaelis family, him and Lou, [it was] very explosive, hit the ground running.

“The viewers hated them, but they brought a lot of drama with them and they’ve left us a great legacy with Brody.” She then added: “It’s not the end of the family. We are going to hear from them again.”