The Receptionist worked at the hotel in the Cotswolds where Ken Barlow and Alma Sedgewick stayed over New Year 1992. While checking in, Ken booked a table for the Hogmanay dinner dance and a copy of The Independent for the following morning.
Over dinner, guilt-ridden Alma confessed to Ken that she had spent Christmas Day in bed with Mike Baldwin. Ken was rocked by Alma's admission and went for a walk to clear his head. Right before midnight, Ken checked out of the hotel, dealing with the same receptionist as before. This time, he was far less courteous, ignoring her when she wished him a happy New Year.
After waiting a long while for him to return, Alma enquired at the desk if anyone had seen Ken and was stunned when the receptionist broke the news that he had checked out of the hotel. The sympathetic receptionist offered to fetch Alma a drink, but Alma declined and retired to her room, humiliated.