Bernie Winter-Alahan has been through more heartbreak than most, but the Corriedale crash in Coronation Street leaves her shaken in a way she can’t hide this time. Billy Mayhew’s tragic death hits her like a punch to the chest, and instead of leaning on the people who love her, Bernie lets her grief turn into anger. Sadly, the one person who ends up taking the full force of it is Dev Alahan.
Bernie’s Grief Explodes After Billy’s Death in Coronation Street
Billy’s death feels like a personal loss to Bernie, because Billy mattered to her in a way most people don’t fully understand. Bernie has always been one of the toughest characters on the cobbles, and she carries herself like someone who can handle anything life throws at her. That’s also why her relationship with Dev has always been such a surprise. Bernie and Dev don’t look like a couple that should work, but somehow they do.
Their wedding alone proves how chaotic their love story can get. They rushed into it at the last minute, and everything that could go wrong did go wrong; a burglar turned up, a locket went missing, Bernie had an allergic reaction to lilies, and they ended up in a makeshift hospital ceremony to say “I do.” Somehow, they still managed to celebrate with a mini-rave afterwards, because of course they did.
Dev Becomes The Target When Bernie Can’t Hold It In Anymore
Even before Billy’s death, Dev and Bernie had already been hitting roadblocks. Bernie’s constant meddling in Asha’s life has caused tension, especially because she keeps stepping in around Asha’s mental health. Bernie genuinely believes she’s helping, but Dev doesn’t always see it that way, and the pressure has been building for a while. Bernie also isn’t new to grief, and that’s what makes this even harder to watch. She already had to face the most devastating loss of her life when she watched her son Paul Foreman die from Motor Neurone Disease.
In the middle of that heartbreak, she found one small comfort; it brought her closer to Billy, Paul’s former husband, who became like another son to her. But with Billy’s funeral approaching, Bernie reaches a breaking point. When the time comes to say goodbye, she can’t control what she’s feeling anymore. And she lashes out at Dev with cruel remarks that sting. Instead of talking it through, Bernie heads upstairs and grabs a bottle of wine. She’s desperate to shut off the pain she doesn’t know how to carry.
Unfortunately, Bernie’s outburst is only the start of what’s coming. Losing Billy sends her spiralling into a messy, boozy path of self-destruction, and she decides she needs a night out to escape everything for a while. Dev tries to warn her that alcohol won’t solve anything, but Bernie refuses to listen and pushes ahead anyway. She meets up with her group and they start knocking back shots, but it’s clear this won’t end well. Bernie isn’t drinking to have fun, she’s drinking because she can’t sit with what she’s feeling. So, will “Dernie” survive when Bernie’s grief turns into a storm that Dev can’t fix? Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers.