Coronation Street has axed yet another star from the ITV soap after being allegedly rocked by an cash crisis.
In the last few weeks, the series, which began in 1960, has seen big change in front of the cameras following the departure of Gail Platt actor Helen Worth and Luca Toolan, whose character Mason Radcliffe was killed off in heartbreaking scenes that aired on Monday (6 January).
There are also big changes going on behind the cameras, with Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster) and Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) set to leave the soap in 2025.
Another name has now been added to that list, with Colson Smith, who plays PC Craig Tinker, revealing that he will also say farewell after being axed by bosses a few months back.
Smith, who was a contestant on ITV2’s Celebrity Big Brother reboot in 2024, told his fans: “Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker’s time on the cobbles is to come to an end in 2025.
“I’ve loved every single second of my 14 year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in, on and around Coronation Street.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home.
He continued: “I’m excited to play out the exit story for our Craigy. For me, this is the end of the beginning.
“I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter two has in store for me.”
It has been reported by The Sun that cast members are in danger of being dropped from the soap due to an alleged cash crisis occurring behind the scenes, with bosses opting to shine the light on the show’s younger cast members because they are cheaper to retain.
Mason’s death was one such storyline; the character was killed off as part of a knife crime plot that was developed with the Ben Kinsella Trust, a knife crime prevention charity.
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While Devaney was initially left “gutted” by producer Kate Brooks’s decision to kill her character off in a hard-hitting Alzheimer’s storyline, she is said to now be fixated on the show’s potential to raise awareness about the disease.
Meanwhile, Cleaver opted to leave the show after 25 years as she is looking “for new adventures”, but she assured fans that “the door is still firmly open” for a potential return one day in the future.
According to The Sun, cast members are feeling frustrated that they “aren’t getting enough episodes”, with actors including Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow) and Mauren Lipman (Evelyn Plummer) allegedly on “guest contracts”.
These short-term contracts mean actors “can come and go and take extended breaks”, and does not guarantee them an appearance on the soap in 2026.
The Independent has contacted ITV for comment.
Reports of behind-the-scenes tensions arrive after EastEnders beat Corrie in the Christmas ratings, receiving 4.39 million viewers compared with Gail’s exit, which was watched by just 2.41 million.