Coronation Street viewers shocked after character returns from the dead

That didn't take long.

Christmas came early for some of the Weatherfield residents on Friday when it was revealed that Gary Windass is, in fact, alive.

His loved ones on the cobbles had their lives shattered this week after getting word that he had been killed in a car accident in the Ukraine.

And while some fans had their suspicions that all may not be as it seemed, especially since there had been no official word on Gary's fate, the twist still came as a welcome surprise.

Gary's girlfriend Sarah struggled to come to terms with the loss and the fact that there had been no proper answers, with her downcast mood eventually starting to concern her family after she was showing no interest in the holidays.

She and her daughter Bethany were left overjoyed, however, when they returned from a walk to find Gary simply sitting on the sofa - completely oblivious to the news.

And while she was initially furious with him for not reaching out sooner, she eventually softened - and took a huge step in their relationship.

Wanting them to reaffirm their commitment to each other, Sarah decided to propose to him in front a beaming Bethany.

And fans were absolutely stunned.

Is this one of the those weird dream sequences? Wtf Gary? #coronationstreet — lisa mckenzie (@muckymac) December 8, 2017

So gary's not dead after all!!! #CoronationStreet — Alfie Matthew Barton (@MindOverVirtue) December 8, 2017

But their happiness was short lived, as Sarah's brother David delivered some devastating news when Gary headed around to tell people that he was very-much-alive.

David had recently found out that Gary had a one night stand with Nicola Rubinstein, which led to her falling pregnant.

He confronted Gary about the betrayal, who told him that he would agree to come clean to Sarah about it all - but only after he told his mum he was still alive.

David, unable to wait, found himself telling his sister everything before Gary got home - leaving Sarah devastated.

When confronted, Gary tried to say that he would have nothing to do with the baby - but Sarah ended up chucking him out.

It's not too clear if it's the end of the line for the couple or not, but it's not looking good.