Coronation Street’s cast have been left fuming in a private WhatsApp group.
It comes after several stars of the programme have made the decision to walk away from the long-running ITV soap which continues to attract millions of viewers each day. Ahead of it’s 65th anniversary, there are fears the programme is in crisis after fan favourites including Eileen Grimshaw, played by Sue Cleaver and Daisy Midgeley, played by Charlotte Jordan walking away. Helen Worth who played Gail Platt for five decades bowed out on Christmas Day, with Colson Smith, Luca Toolan, Lucy Fallon, Sue Devaney and Shelley King also following suit.
The Mirror revealed earlier this month that stars on the show had been left disgusted after Claire Sweeney, Jennie McAlpine and Alan Halsall’s agent made a brutal dig at Samia Longchambon, calling for her character, Maria, to be cut from the soap. Melanie Blake, who represents the likes of Claire King, Laila Morse and Michelle Hardwick stated on X, formerly known as Twitter that Maria Connor would happily be waved off.
Friends and co-stars of Samia, 42, spoke out on the drama. Speaking to the Mirror, a TV source said: “Samia’s friends and co-stars were in utter disbelief over the tweets. It’s astounding that somebody who represents some of Coronation Street’s on-screen talent and always goes on about getting her clients work would send such a vile tweet. There’s been so much drama recently and this tweet was really uncalled for, Melanie should know better.”
Now, its claimed that the cast had shared “furious” messages with one another on WhatsApp as they all fear for their jobs. New Corrie boss, Kate Brookes has been described as “wielding the axe” and in charge of the changes behind the scenes on the soap, having joined in 2012, taking over from Iain MacLeod.
A source told the MailOnline: “The bosses don’t want to pay actors just to hang around the street, or sit in the Rovers nursing a pint.” They went on to add: “You really can’t blame Kate for being reluctant to take on the top job at Corrie, but ITV had tried everyone. They went back to her and she finally she agreed.
“She knew the task ahead and the difficult decisions she’d have to make due to the cast being so big and the current cash crisis at ITV. But she’s come in and is determined to take it back to classic Corrie days.” But the Mirror understands that exits on the soap are nothing to worry about – as more drama is yet to come.
An insider recently told The Mirror that the exits form part of major storylines that have been planned for a while, and to give away the exits could ruin some big twists for fans – hence the decision to keep it all under wraps, only for it all to leak. Our insider shared: “The idea that Corrie is running out of steam and the end is in sight couldn’t be further from the truth. We’ve got a huge stunt, a flurry of returns and some hard-hitting storylines that put some Weatherfield favourites centre-stage. There’s some really family-focussed scenes ahead, and some twists and turns that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats!”
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