Carla Connor (also Barlow and Gordon) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Alison King.

Her storylines include being kidnapped in her factory by Tony and escaping when the building explodes (known as "Siege Week"), battling alcoholism, drink driving and running over Stella Price (Michelle Collins), being raped by Frank, attempting to commit suicide, becoming a suspect in Frank's murder, an affair and marriage with Peter, learning that Peter has been having an affair with Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), suffering a miscarriage because of the stress, escaping a fire at her flat started by her arch-enemy Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), coping when people blame her for starting the fire, developing a gambling addiction, learning that family friend Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) is actually her biological father, being blackmailed by Tracy and later trying to kill her which leads to two car crashes on the street, suffering from kidney failure and undergoing a kidney transplant with her half-brother Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward), dealing with Aidan's suicide, a feud with Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) over the ownership of the Underworld factory, attempting to frame Abi Franklin (Sally Carman) for arson, becoming a public enemy through her workaholism which leads to the factory roof fatally collapsing and her subsequent psychotic episode.

Carla's best friends growing up were Michelle (Kym Marsh), Paul (Sean Gallagher) and Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier) who lived in the nicer part of the estate.

According to The Sun newspaper: "Robbie is freed from jail – having been due for release – and meets Carla (Alison King) under the pretence that he is a trader who wants to buy lingerie cheaply.

[18] In July 2010, The Sun newspaper reported that an upcoming storyline would see Carla face a drinking problem after King was pictured filming a visit to alcoholics anonymous.

An insider told the paper: "She sees Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) at the meeting and backs out, pretending she is meant to be in a Spanish class next door.

It was reported that the pair apparently grow closer as Peter helps Carla overcome her boozing and comes to her aid when she is arrested for drink driving.

Alison King later told Inside Soap that she wants Carla's friendship with Peter to develop even further as he helps her to battle alcohol addiction.

[24] The factory owner, played by Alison King, would be subjected to a physical and sexual assault by Frank Foster after he suspects she is cheating on him with Peter Barlow.

[25] A writer for the official Coronation Street website said "Now events will take an even more dramatic turn as tensions rise and vengeance will be on the minds of several characters, climaxing in Frank's death!

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said in a statement released to Digital Spy: "Alison King has indicated to producers that she would like to take a sabbatical from the show for creative reasons at some point in 2016.

This involved the Platt family heavily and Carla caused the crash into the house where the body was hidden, finishing the storyline from his murder which had started in September 2015.

"[46][47] Coronation Street producer Kate Oates said she would "break new ground" with Carla, and doesn’t intend to force the character back into a destructive cycle of misery but will instead reinvigorate her feisty side.

I'd hesitate to put a diagnosis on what it is affecting Carla, but the factory collapse has lots of unexpected offshoots into areas that give our amazing cast a chance to show off their acting chops."

After forcing her to evacuate the building, he leaves her bound and gagged in her office while he lures Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) to the factory, who he also holds hostage.

Carla returns to Weatherfield and is shocked when her business partner, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price), sets up a rival factory underneath the viaduct, and refuses to work with her, but before long, Underworld is eventually repaired.

Carla explains that Sally, unlike many of the other workers, is in a comfortable financial situation due to her ex-husband, Kevin Webster's (Michael Le Vell), large lottery win.

Afterwards, Peter finds himself attempting to cope with his son Simon Barlow (Alex Bain), who, devastated over Leanne's departure, blames Carla and begins misbehaving for them.

Later that night, Frank is found dead in the factory by Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) and Julie Carp (Katy Cavanagh), with Sally kneeling beside him with her hands covered in blood.

He gives his ex girlfriend, Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), a job in packing and she convinces him to pretend the van has been robbed whilst transporting expensive material, which they secretly sell on to another company.

After hearing that Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) is selling her share of The Rovers, Carla offers to buy her half so that Michelle and Steve would still be able to live and work there.

Realising the extent of her financial troubles, Carla decides to move away and later tries selling the factory to Sally and Kal's daughter Alya Nazir (Sair Khan).

Tracy moves but a truck drove by Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and his girlfriend Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) comes into her path and she swerves, knocking over Roy's partner, Cathy Matthews (Melanie Hill) before crashing into the postbox.

However, Sinead's aunt Beth Sutherland (Lisa George) storms into the pub and argues with Carla about their kiss on the doorstep which everybody hears including Peter who sarcastically comments - "you make a great couple".

She is told that she will have to say that Aidan was mentally unstable when he wrote his will and she later lashes out at Alya causing her to quit her job at Underworld before Carla breaks down and locks herself in her office.

However, the factory roof collapses, leaving residents such as Sally, Rana, Sean, Kirk Sutherland (Andrew Whyment), Paul Foreman (Peter Ash), Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and Emma Brooker (Alexandra Mardell) unconscious and injured.

Carla is suspicious of the health and safety inspector and Roy's previous foster son Wayne Hayes (Adam Barlow) and leaves for a short break with Peter after he says he loves her and will be there.

Upon being released from police custody, Carla visits Aidan’s grave where she is verbally attacked and starts receiving text messages from an anonymous person pretending to be Rana telling her the roof collapse was "her fault".

[68] In January 2009, the character was heralded as the new Elsie Tanner: "strong, dark, mouthy, pushy, full of herself and nobody's fool, ready to put the world to rights with another lashing of lipstick.

There's no denying that the scenes in this evening's double bill are powerfully acted by Alison King, but there seems to be an underlying mission to crack open Carla's carapace and expose her vulnerability.