We were all knocked for six at the news of Gary's death on Coronation Street, but maybe all is not what it seems.

On last night's episode, Sarah (Tina O'Brien) and the rest of the family learned that Gary Windass (Mikey North) was presumed dead. His boss Joe called to say there'd been a bombing in the Ukraine where he was working and that there'd been no survivors. Gary had been driving the head of an oil company when the terror attack happened. Given that it had been confirmed that a British national was caught up in the incident and that the St Christopher that Sarah had given Gary was found at the site, Joe feared the worst. Viewers watching weren't convinced that this was the end - some reckon Gary as faked his own death and will return at Christmas in another twist.

I'm calling it now - Gary ain't dead. #Corrie

— Rachel Hawkins (@ourrachblogs) December 4, 2017

It'll take more than a blown up car to keep our Gary down, he'll be back ?? @itvcorrie

— Corrie Girl (@corrie_girl_) December 4, 2017

#Corrie guarding a chief executive hahaha he's not dead Gary has a plan to kill phelan it's so obvious

— gary doyle (@gazza4944) December 4, 2017

OMG is Gary dead or maybe he is pretending to be to hide from #phelan #Corrie

— Arlene Woollard (@Arlene_HWycombe) December 4, 2017

I don't think Gary is dead. I reckon he'll rock up on the cobbles at Christmas #Corrie

— Jodi (@Jodi_Rushworth) December 4, 2017

Nah....i dont believe for one second that they'd kill off a major character like #garywindas off screen....no big episode... no fuss....i bet he's faking his death to get phelan's daughter safely away #Corrie #coronationstreet @itvcorrie

— Carl Johnson (@Carljayjohnson) December 4, 2017

They might not be far wrong. Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah, has hinted that even her character is holding out hope that Gary is alive. "Sarah doesn’t believe it," she tole the Press Association. "She thinks there has been a mistake or that it is someone else because, although she’s upset, she feels like if it was real she would somehow know and she doesn’t feel that overwhelming grief, so she has convinced herself that it isn’t true."