really love Curly and Raquel later broke off their engagement but refused reconciliation with Des. After this, Andy McDonald (Nicholas Cochrane) moved in as a lodger. Their friendship turned sour when Des started making offensive jokes about his family's criminality and asked Andy to leave. Des then dated a young widow, Claire Palmer (Maggie Norris). They had brief meetings during their lunch breaks as Claire was trying to get her daughter Becky (Emily Aston) used to the idea of her mother dating another man. Des wanted Claire to take a boating holiday with him, and Becky thought that it was a good idea and wanted to go too. Becky accepted Des and when they returned from the boat trip Claire and Becky moved in with Des, even though this meant that Claire lost her widow’s pension. In 1997, Des was talked into making a parachute jump with his boss Sean Skinner (Terence Hillyer) and Samantha Failsworth (Tina Hobley), the Rovers barmaid that Sean had been dating. Due to an ankle injury Sean was unable to take part in the jump. Des and Samantha were pleased that they had made the jump successful and later the same day Des made a pass at Samantha. She manipulated Des by pretending to reciprocate his feeling and had him remove his trousers. She threw his trousers out of the window and pushed Des out of the front door in full view of Claire, Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) and Mavis Wilton (Thelma Barlow). Claire and Becky subsequently moved out and Sean fired Des from his job. Humiliated and ashamed, Des decided to leave Weatherfield. He rented his house out to Angie Freeman (Deborah McAndrew), bought himself a new boat and left, with Derek Wilton (Peter Baldwin) giving him a fond farewell. However, Des returned to the Street soon after in July. Des was upset to find that Derek had died. He also found Angie had moved mechanic Chris Collins (Matthew Marsden) into the house with her. At first Des did not approve, but eventually accepted Chris. In August, Des made another pass at Samantha and this time she genuinely accepted him. She was able to be consoled by Des, confessing to him her innermost feelings, including telling him of her rape ordeal to which she had never spoken about to anyone before. Des was angry when Samantha slept with her ex-husband Ritchie (Shaun Dooley), but