Coronation Street's cult leader Rowan faces downfall after Nick Tilsley 'blunder'

Coronation Street viewers were in for an unexpected turn of events on Wednesday (August 14) as Nick Tilsley caught Rowan Cunliffe red-handed in his blackmail scheme. Leanne Battersby has been increasingly distant from her partner Nick due to her involvement with Rowan's "self-improvement group" called The Institute.

Leanne's fixation on the dubious organisation led to tensions mounting as Nick started to harbour feelings for her sister Toyah, eventually resulting in an affair. Rowan, seizing an opportunity, snapped a photograph of the illicit pair and wielded it as leverage, coercing Nick to cough up cash and pressuring him to dump funds into The Institute.

In a pivotal moment, Leanne began to extricate herself from the cult-like grip of The Institute, disregarding Rowan's orders to visit Toyah in the hospital post-cancer surgery.

Amidst these trying times, Nick divulged his true sentiments to Toyah; he was in love with her and yearned for them to be together. Nonetheless, Toyah posited they suppress their desires for the betterment of Leanne caught in The Institute's clutches, reports the Express.

The plot thickened when Rowan's latest ploy spiralled out of control; he left a voicemail ordering Nick to invest £20k by midnight or face exposure over the tryst with Toyah. This backfired spectacularly when Nick shared the incriminating message with Toyah and hatched a plan to bring Rowan down.

Determined, Nick stood his ground, threatening to alert the police of Rowan's extortion tactics, to which past offences would only add misery, and made it clear that The Institute wouldn't receive a penny from him.

Nick was adamant as he confronted Rowan, declaring: "This voicemail proves you're trying to extort me." He then