This year’s Christmas Eve in Weatherfield was anything but peaceful. While everyone was raising a glass to celebrate, Daniel Osbourne – a gentle teacher and exemplary husband – became the victim of a bloody attack.

The sight of him lying unconscious in the dark ginnel shocked Coronation Street viewers, and social media exploded with the question: Who did this to Daniel?

Before the tragedy, the neighborhood had just experienced a tense Christmas party.

Will Driscoll – a young man with a troubled past – constantly provoked Daniel throughout the meal.

When Daniel accidentally called Will “little git,” the atmosphere in the room froze. The two went outside into the cold night, and that was the last time anyone saw Daniel standing.

The next morning, Evelyn Plummer – the neighborhood’s usual source of humor – found Daniel lying in a pool of blood. The scene sent her screaming and immediately calling for emergency services. Amidst flashing red lights, Daniel was rushed away in critical condition, leaving behind a host of unanswered questions. Will was considered the prime suspect – due to jealousy, anger, and his complicated relationship with Megan, who had once been close to Daniel. But Corrie fans didn’t believe it was that simple. They speculated that perhaps Maggie Driscoll, the extremely protective mother, was the real killer.

The episode concludes with Daniel lying in the hospital, his breath weak. The silence in the frame plunges Weatherfield into fear. An attack during a holiday – and the perpetrator could have been anyone sitting at the dinner table that night. For long-time fans, this is one of the most “breathtaking” moments of Coronation Street in the decade.