Karen McDonald (née Phillips) arrived on Coronation Street in June 2000 as a friend of Linda Sykes who used to work with her at Wheelers. Karen was taken on as a new machinist at Underworld. She quickly found herself popular with the men of the Street and had a fling with Vikram Desai, over Christmas she was drinking alone in the Rovers and ended up spending the night with Peter Barlow. Karen’s mother died a week later. Karen’s hatred for Tracy, and to a stronger extent Amy, increased every time that they saw one another.