Coronation Street stars will reportedly be offered shorter contracts amid declining viewing figures and financial problems.
The ITV soap alone attracted 2.6 million viewers for its Christmas Day special which saw Gail Platt (Helen Worth) leave after 50 years on the show.
Now the sun claims producers can now only guarantee contracts until the end of 2025 amid tight budgets.
A source told the publication: ‘The Corrie cast is huge and some don’t have enough episodes.
‘A few pay-per-episodes are struggling to pay mortgages and have to supplement income with personal appearances and Instagram ads.
“Many cast members now have ‘guest contracts’, such as Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford. They are short-term, so they can come and go and take long breaks. The cast have been told they cannot guarantee any more contracts.” beyond the end of 2025.
Coronation Street stars will reportedly be offered shorter contracts amid declining viewing figures and financial problems (Maureen Lipman seen as Evelyn Plummer)
The ITV soap alone attracted 2.6 million viewers for its Christmas Day special which saw Gail Platt (Helen Worth) leave after 50 years on the show.
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
It comes after the soap’s new boss warned that several characters face the ax as she spoke of several “unexpected departures” looming in 2025.
The ITV soap’s new producer Kate Brooks, who previously took the helm of Emmerdale, recently spoke about her plans for Weatherfield and its residents next New Year.
And while there are plenty of interesting storylines and drama to come, there are several cast members who won’t be able to see this as their characters are set to leave the show in a move that is expected to send ‘shockwaves’ throughout the show. .
talking to the sun and other media outlets, Kate explained about upcoming plans: ‘There are some departures this year, and some unexpected ones that will cause a stir.
“People may not expect exits, but there are some.”
However, amid the shock exit, Coronation Street will welcome back some familiar faces, as well as some new additions.
Most notable among the returnees is Rob Donovan, Carla Connor’s brother who is serving time in prison for the murder of Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan).
Actor Marc Baylis, who plays the villain, has reportedly already returned to filming, and his character will no doubt have a big impact on Carla, her son Bobby, and Carla’s new romance with police officer Lisa Swain.
The claims come in the wake of show legend Gail Platt’s emotional exit during the soap’s dramatic Christmas special.
It comes after the soap’s new boss Kate Brooks (seen) warned that several characters face the ax as she spoke of several ‘unexpected departures’ looming in 2025.
Detailing her big return, Kate shared: “Last time we left Rob languishing in prison. He made mistakes. He returns to the show and we think he might be a reformed character who has seen the error of his ways, but whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know!
‘He definitely comes back and causes a lot of problems for Carla and Lisa. Just when Carla and Lisa think it’s safe to sit back and watch Netflix, Rob Donovan arrives and ruins all that.
Kate went on to add that Rob’s return will be “a great story” for the family that will have plenty of “twists and turns” to keep soap fans truly entertained.
In addition to Rob, Carl Webster, Kevin and Debbie’s long-lost brother, who has never appeared on screen, will make an unexpected arrival into his siblings’ lives.
She shared that there are “big stories” on the horizon for Kevin and Debbie that will “build” the Webster clan, and Kate stated that she believes the soap’s three big clans are the “Websters, Barlows and Platts.”
MailOnline has contacted representatives of Coronation Street for comment.
Meanwhile, Kate, who took over the soap earlier this year, also spoke about her overall vision for next year, detailing how she plans more theme-based stories.
She said: “I think it’s important that we tell brave, topic-focused stories, and we have plenty of them, but it’s about presenting them in the right way and keeping them fresh and different, without losing the Corrie DNA.
‘What makes Corrie so wonderful is its familiarity. It’s the ingenuity, it’s the characters. All of these stories have been packaged with that in mind. “That will be in everyone’s hearts,” he said. digital spy.
The producer went on to say that there is a lot of “bold, innovative storytelling” and “compelling drama” in the soap opera, at the center of which lies “a truth.”
He went on to confirm that the show’s key families, including the Websters, Platts and Connors, will be firmly at the center of the “really exciting” big stories that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.
He continued: ‘My vision is to make sure we keep people engaged, entertained and guessing. We don’t want them to become complacent, sometimes we want to pull the rug out from under them. We want them to be sitting at home with a cup of tea and a biscuit and have something happen to them that they didn’t expect. So expect the unexpected in 2025.”
The huge new plans come in the wake of showbiz legend Gail Platt’s emotional departure during soap is dramatic Christmas special.
The show saw legendary actress Helen Worth officially say goodbye to the cobbles of Weatherfield after playing the role of Gail for 50 years.
But after fans feared she would be killed off, Gail had a happy exit that saw her begin the “first day of her new life” with her husband Jesse Chadwick (John Thompson) abroad.
While that hour did not see her death, the Christmas Day story saw an engagement, a pregnancy, an arrest, multiple fights, and many tears.
With the episode setting the stage for an emotional Christmas episode, Gail was ominously serenaded by the ghost of her former murderous partner, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).
Pursued by the famous villain, which ended in an argument about her past, Gail was left distraught on Christmas morning when she woke up screaming that she was “not that woman anymore.”
Claiming she had an epiphany, Gail ran to her partner Jesse and confessed that she needed a boyfriend and that the wedding had happened again.
Legendary actress Helen Worth has officially bid farewell to the cobbles of Weatherfield after playing the role of Gail for 50 years.
He romantically asked her if she was available for 2pm when they confirmed their big day was back.
Gail’s mother, Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), tried a last-minute olive branch and knocked on Gail’s door, to which Tina shot down her festive spirit and said she wasn’t welcome.
Despite this, she still showed up at the venue before the big celebration to “wish him good luck”, to which Gail expressed her devastation at not having supported her decision to go abroad and start a new life.
With their relationship held together by a thread, Audrey had a second chance to stand the test of time for their family bond.
But there was soon more drama when Nick’s (Ben Price) ex-wife, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), brought the police to the wedding while accusing him and his partner Toyah (Georgia Taylor), who is also his sister, of fraud.