Coronation Street's Max to face a backlash over links to Griff
Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street's Max Turner must face the consequences of his new friendship with Griff Reynolds next week.
Max is currently being groomed by Griff, who wants the teenager to join his gang of extremists.
Griff has largely been hiding his true agenda in recent weeks, but upcoming episodes see him go public as he tries to recruit new members.
Brian Packham, Roy Cropper, Gary Windass and Maria Connor are among the Weatherfield residents who gather for a talk at the community centre.
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They're all expecting a meeting about the environment, but when Griff begins his address, his true motivations become clear.
Griff is wrong-footed when Roy expertly picks apart his argument, pointing out numerous factual errors in his speech.
The crowd applauds Roy, leaving Griff annoyed as he realises that he has lost their support.
Later, the neighbours decide to make more use of the community centre, pointing out that it's the perfect place to offer help and advice to refugees.
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Back at the Platt house, David confronts Max for skipping school to spend time with Griff. He insists that their friendship needs to stop now.
Max defies David's wishes by meeting Griff at his flat again. He shows Griff the film that he recorded of the community centre meeting earlier on.
Later in the week, Roy and Brian are both alarmed to watch Max's film online. They both warn David that Max needs to be protected from Griff.
David decides that it's time to meet Max's new friends, so he visits Griff's flat alongside Max and Lauren. How will David react to Griff?
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Coronation Street's producer Iain MacLeod recently discussed the show's decision to explore this storyline with Max's character.
He said: "Overall, Max's story is one about the grooming of a vulnerable teenager at a point where he's feeling most alienated and disenfranchised.
"The story will encompass the 'traditional' recruitment techniques of extremist groups, and we'll see Max befriended in person by older, mentor-like figures that will give him a sense of loyalty and brotherhood.
“Then, later in the story, we will explore a very 21st Century problem: teenagers self-radicalising through watching extreme content online. In the end, we wanted this to be a story about communication within families – what are the right and wrong ways to talk to younger family members who are gravitating towards extreme views?
"For the conclusion of the story, David's misjudged attempts to deal with Max will drive the narrative to a shocking and thought-provoking climax."
If you're concerned about someone who's expressing extremist or hateful views then ACT Early has further information. If you've seen or heard something that could potentially be related to terrorism, then report via www.gov.uk/ACT or call 0800 789 321.
If you've been affected by racism and racist hate crime, then organisations including the Equality and Advisory Support Service (EASS), the Monitoring Group, Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) and Stop Hate UK are among those which can offer help and support.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV and streams on the ITV Hub.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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