The regular arrivals and departures of actors from the world of soap operas are nothing new for Coronation Street. This year, a number of new characters have come to Weatherfield to shake things up, but we’ve also seen some longtime favorites leave.
But why did the departing individuals wave to the cobbles? Here is our guide to the cast members who are leaving 2022 and their explanations for leaving.
Rebecca Ryan (Lydia Chambers)
Rebecca Ryan, a former cast member of Shameless, Casualty, and Waterloo Road, had one of the biggest Corrie storylines at the beginning of this year. Her character Lydia Chambers became unhealthyly obsessed with Adam Barlow and tried to sabotage his marriage to Sarah in a number of ways.
End of 2021 saw Rebecca join the cobbles, but it wasn’t until March 2022 that it was revealed she had finished filming.
The Corrie insiders who spoke to Digital Spy at the time confirmed that it was always intended for scheming Lydia to appear on the show for a limited time. The persona was added especially for the Adam and Sarah plot.
“That’s Lydia over and out!!” Rebecca wrote on Instagram after she left. On the cobblestones, I had the most wonderful experience that I will never forget.
“Thank you so much for your kind words; I have read them all and value each and every one. It’s been a blast, bye Lydia.
Alexandra Mardell (Emma Brooker)
Early in 2018, Alexandra joined Corrie, with Emma initially appearing as David Platt’s potential love interest. She gained a ready-made family on the Street when it was later revealed that she was the daughter of Steve McDonald.
Alexandra left Coronation Street in February 2022, and her final scenes were broadcast two months later.
Although leaving was difficult for Alexandra, she was eager to resume playing a variety of characters.
At the time, she stated to Digital Spy and other media outlets: “It was really difficult; even now, I’m unsure of what I did. I’m sure it’s the right decision for me, but I can understand how people could stay there for 20, or even 60, years because it’s such a great place to work.
“But all I wanted to do was play a different character. In addition to exploring Emma in many different ways, there are a few other people I want to try out.”
Kel Allen (Laura Neelan)
In 2020, Kel’s character Laura first appeared on Corrie, and ever since then, she has frequently made cameo appearances.
Laura came back one last time in 2022. It was revealed that the rebellious character was dying.
With a memorable plot that had Laura mistakenly take responsibility for Rick’s murder just before she passed away, Kel supported the decision to write out her character.
“I think for me, it’s bittersweet, I guess Laura could have stayed around,” Kel said in a statement in February. What would have happened then, though? She would be back to her old tricks. There are always twists and turns, and every actor wants to sink their teeth into something so grim.
“I have so many relationships with everyone off set. When people say it’s a family, it does sound incredibly cliche, but it really is. We’ll all continue to be in touch, but I’ll miss that.”
Charlie de Melo (Imran Habeeb)
Imran was a popular character among Corrie’s online audience, but his time on the show ended abruptly in June. The lawyer had the honor of leaving the ITV soap opera during its annual stripped-down week of episodes, which airs concurrently with the live performances of Britain’s Got Talent.
Imran was in a car accident with his wife Toyah when his weeks of lies and deception were discovered, and he passed away from a cardiac arrest there.
Charlie de Melo voluntarily left Corrie because he wanted to challenge himself elsewhere after playing Imran for almost five years.
In his words: “It reached a point where I was having so much fun over there, constantly being challenged, and working with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met.
“In other words, I saw a representation of myself who would actually remain there until I was kicked out. I came to the realization that I don’t have a spouse, a car, a mortgage, kids, or any other situation that would call for consistency.
“I reasoned that if I didn’t close my eyes and venture into space right away, I never would. It had nothing to do with my job, therefore. Even though I was having a great time and the job was keeping me grounded, the question was: “If not now, when?””
Melanie Hill (Cathy Matthews)
Melanie began playing Cathy Matthews on Corrie in 2015, but this year she made the decision to leave the ITV drama.
Before her final episodes aired, Melanie made her decision known and gave the reason behind it, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic had given her time to reevaluate her priorities.
It hasn’t been simple to decide, Melanie admitted in a conversation with The Mirror. Although my family has always been important, the pandemic has caused many people to consider the future. It has significantly altered my mental landscape.
“You just need to determine what matters to you. I genuinely love everyone, but it’s really made me consider my family and what my priorities are in life.
Melanie continued by thanking Corrie’s team for leaving the door open for Cathy to potentially make a comeback in the future.
Kimberly Hart-Simpson (Nicky Wheatley)
After making a guest appearance as Nicky in 2020, Kimberly played the part again this year.
Nicky’s most recent stint on the cobbles saw her rekindle her relationship with Daniel Osbourne and engage in conflict with Daisy Midgeley, but her stories came to a natural conclusion without a proper farewell scene in the summer.
Since some fans had anticipated seeing more from Nicky, they were perplexed by her departure, which prompted Kimberly to clarify on her Instagram page.
“Okkkk, let’s get this answered because the inbox is full,” she said. So leaving Corrie is not an option. I returned more so to finish a storyline that has already been concluded for the time being.
You won’t know for sure what the future holds if you watched Friday’s episodes, but what I do know is this: I owe Corrie a lot, and I adore everything about the city, including the locals, the atmosphere, and the streets.
“Life is a book with chapters, and I am eagerly anticipating the next one.”
Jamie Kenna (Phill Whittaker)
Following Fiz’s breakup with Tyrone, Jamie joined Corrie in 2021 as a new love interest for her. However, the character had a limited shelf life because Corrie executives always intended to bring Fiz and Tyrone back together in the future.
In July 2022, a few weeks after Fiz had second thoughts about their nuptials and returned to Tyrone, Phill made his last public appearance.
The modern-day Jack and Vera have reunited, as Jamie said in a video posted to Corrie’s social media pages. “Unfortunately, as we now know, I couldn’t keep them apart any longer,” he said. And I’m so grateful that I had a part in it. The ideal team members are Alan Halsall and Jennie McAlpine. I’ve been incredibly lucky.
“I just wanted to post on here to express my gratitude for everyone’s love and support for Phill and I over the past year. I’ve had the best time ever. I adore this location and this program. Big Phill with two Ls has had quite the journey.
Who knows; perhaps they’ll be able to bring him back. But for now, it’s a heartfelt farewell from me and a heartfelt thank you to everyone at Corrie, to all of you for tuning in, watching, and supporting me.
Millie Gibson (Kelly Neelan)
With the ITV soap blowing the budget to bring in Hollywood-style volume wall technology for Kelly’s final scenes, Millie had one of Corrie’s biggest exits of the year.
Kelly made the decision to leave the cobbles after a week of high drama that included a rooftop brawl and a shooting. After the shocking discovery that Gary Windass was actually responsible for her father Rick’s murder, she knew she couldn’t ever trust him again.
In real life, Millie made the decision to leave Corrie this year in order to pursue other acting opportunities.
She said, “I believe that Corrie is a home. The best way to put it is that it’s a home. I had the thought, “I’ve got to leave,” because I’m so young. I am thankful to be living at home because I have no obligations—I don’t have children, a mortgage to pay, or anything else of the sort.
“I decided to just see what else the world has, I reasoned. That would be great if it does happen, wouldn’t it, if it does. I merely reasoned that I might as well observe events while I’m still young.
Joe Frost (Leo Thompkins)
When Leo, a construction worker, was first introduced on Corrie in the fall of 2021 to assist the Platts with the sinkhole in their backyard, Joe decided to join the cast. He quickly replaced Jenny Connor as her new love interest.
Leo was the first victim of Corrie’s most recent murderer Stephen Reid in September 2022; he passed away during a struggle on the factory gantry.
Joe hasn’t made it clear whether he left on his own accord or because the Corrie executives decided to fire him.
Joe seemed appreciative of his extended stay as he addressed his departure on Instagram, writing: “Oooft. Such a ride… A hellish year that started out as six weeks. A young man from the North West’s dream has come true.
“I can’t express my gratitude to Coronation Street enough for allowing me to leave my mark on the cobblestones. (This is for you, Gran…) How is that sinkhole looking right now?”
Nathan Graham (James Bailey)
Nathan began portraying the talented football player James in 2019, but he decided to stop this year.
After leaving Weatherfield County due to health issues, James’ exit plot saw him accept a coaching position in Lewisham.
Nathan has stated that he left Corrie of his own free will because he wanted to pursue other opportunities.
“I am the kind of person who lives in the moment and follows what feels right,” he said. It was very difficult for me to decide to leave. It was difficult to choose, obviously for a variety of reasons.
“It is frightening and risky to leave a place of security and not know what will happen next. However, it was also the right choice and felt right. Iain MacLeod, the producer of Coronation Street, and I had a good conversation, and he respected my choice.
“It felt like the right time to move on and try something new for me because I’ve had some really great storylines and I did wonder where the character might go next.
“I’m currently only concerned with myself, so now is the perfect time to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. It is harder to make that transition once you have responsibilities and a family to consider.”
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