December 30th 2024.
According to recent reports, it seems that Coronation Street is making some changes in their contracts with cast members. Apparently, they are offering shorter contracts, and this news comes amidst a budget crisis at ITV. It's no secret that there have been a lot of character exits confirmed on both Corrie and its sister show Emmerdale. Plus, even their festive episodes failed to make it into the Top 10 for Christmas Day viewing figures.
In contrast, rival soap EastEnders managed to secure two spots on the list, coming in at 5th and 8th place. It was a bittersweet farewell for fans as they bid goodbye to the iconic Helen Worth, who had been a part of the show for 50 years. Her departure episode only managed to attract 2.6 million viewers, while EastEnders' combined episodes had 3.98 and 4.39 million viewers. It's no wonder that the cast is now worried about what this might mean for their contracts beyond 2025.
A source revealed to The Sun that the cast of Corrie is quite large, and some members are not getting enough screen time. This has resulted in them struggling to pay their mortgages and having to supplement their income with personal appearances and sponsored posts on social media. It's a tough situation for them, and many are now on "guest contracts," including the likes of Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford.
Speaking of Kate Ford, fans were sad to see her character Tracy McDonald leave for Spain in April, but she has made a few returns since then. In upcoming episodes, we will see Evelyn Plummer embark on a new journey as she decides to study law at university. Maureen, who plays Evelyn, explained that she took a break from the show to have a "gap year" with her husband-to-be David Turner.
The source also mentioned that the cast has been informed that there are no guarantees for their contracts beyond 2025. In fact, Sue Devaney's character Debbie Webster has already been axed, and it seems that the producers are looking to use younger cast members who are paid less to cut down on production costs. They have a knife-crime storyline in the works, which will feature the younger characters, and one of them will get stabbed.
Earlier this year, Metro exclusively revealed that Sue Devaney would be leaving the show as part of a dementia storyline, but she will remain on the show for some time. Producer Kate Brooks teased that there will be a few unexpected exits in 2025 that will shock fans. But on a positive note, there will also be some big returns, including Marc Baylis, who will be reprising his role as Rob Donovan in the coming weeks.
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Kate also hinted at some exciting new characters joining the cobbles, including a "neighbours from hell" scenario with a new family moving in. She confirmed that there will be some familiar faces returning in 2025, but she didn't want to give away any spoilers. It looks like there will be plenty of drama and chaos in store for Corrie fans in the coming years.
When approached for comment, Coronation Street declined to give a statement. But if you have any soap or TV stories, videos, or pictures, feel free to email them to the team – they would love to hear from you! And don't forget to leave a comment below to join the conversation and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
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