Coronation Street star Alex Bain is being tipped to leave the soap in a shock development.
The star has played Simon Barlow on the ITV soap for the past 15 years, but The Sun has reported that the actor will depart the show in the summer of 2024.
Bain has reportedly decided to leave in order to pursue new opportunities in the future, with an insider claiming that the star will bow out with an “explosive” storyline.
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The news comes after Bain’s on-screen father, Chris Gascoyne, decided to take an indefinite hiatus from his role as Peter Barlow, which he has filled for the last 23 years.
Despite Gascoyne’s potential return being left open by soap bosses, the actor revealed he didn’t know if or when he would reprise his role, saying: “Of course I've not ruled [a return] out - it's been such a part of my life.
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“I've grown up with so many people there but I need a rest and to look to do something different, I'm not getting any younger. The thing that upset me though was walking away from the people I work with and I don't just mean the actors. I've known all these people for nearly half my life.”
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Whilst a couple of Barlow’s will be absent, it was recently revealed a new addition to the family (of sorts) will soon arrive in the village, with Carla’s nephew Bobby set to walk on the famous cobbled streets tonight.
“It's absolutely fantastic,” said actor Jack Carroll of his role. “There's no better time of year, because everyone will be hopefully glued to their TV screens and I'll be there causing chaos and distracting them from their selection boxes, which is a great honour.”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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