Coronation Street cast: New, leaving and returning characters…It will shock you!!!
Get the lowdown on all the comings and goings in Weatherfield.
NEW drama is on its way to the cobbles as soap bosses have prepared some explosive storylines for the rest of the year.
Heavily-anticipated returns and dramatic exits are still in the cards for Coronation Street. Here’s what you need to know.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) – leaving
Paul will be killed off later this year after the character was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, attacking the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work, often impacting the patient’s senses such as sight, sound and feeling.
The ITV soap is working closely the MND Association on this storyline and will explore the impact of the diagnosis on Paul and his loved ones as his condition progresses.
Actor Peter Ash said: “Paul is completely blindsided by the diagnosis and he decides to keep it from his family and friends as he tries to come to terms with the news.
“I knew very little about MND before embarking on the storyline and I am hugely grateful to the MND Association for all their help and support.
“For any actor playing a role which examines a real life issue or condition there comes a huge sense of responsibility and we are aware that some people watching this storyline are experiencing it in reality, it is their life.
“Awareness and education are really important. I have learned so much even in the short time I have been involved in this storyline. We hope Paul’s journey can make people more aware of the symptoms and what it is like for someone to live with MND.”
Peter Ash recently confirmed he is on set filming Paul’s last scenes with a selfie as his on-screen alter ego’s story draws to a close.
Damon Hay (Ciarán Griffiths) – returned
Introduced as Harvey Gaskell’s brother in late 2022, Ciarán Griffiths aka stirred up trouble as soon as he arrived in the cobbles.
He ruffled many feathers and chased his own estranged son Jacob Hay out of Weatherfield after a dodgy deal gone wrong.
In early 2023, Damon took things to another level when he began an affair with Sarah Platt.
When her husband Adam Barlow found out, Damon feared for his life and escaped the cobbles as the solicitor recruited another criminal called Niall to help him get rid of Damon.
During his time away, Sarah Platt found out she was pregnant with Damon’s baby but it all ended in devastation when she miscarried.
Now, Damon is back and found himself embroiled in a plot to kidnap and kill Adam.
However, he could not go through with it and instead confessed his desire to live a purer life with Sarah by his side.
But his brother Harvey appeared to have other ideas…
Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) – returned
Damon’s brother Harvey Gaskell has also made an explosive comeback.
The gangster tormented many Weatherfield residents, including Leanne Battersby, whom he tried to murder.
Regular viewers will recall that Harvey accidentally killed off Sam Blakeman’s mother and he was eventually thrown in prison for his crimes.
In recent Corrie scenes, Harvey received letters from Sam who was looking for answers for his mother’s death.
Harvey was last seen as he handed a whopping amount of money to a struggling Nick Tilsley, unbeknownst to anybody in Coronation Street.
Nick was hopeful that, due to Harvey being in prison, their agreement would remain under wraps.
However, actor Will Mellor will be reprising his role as the treacherous Harvey Gaskell, meaning trouble is definitely ahead for Nick but also his other half, Leanne Battersby.
He has a robbery on his mind and has enlisted Damon to help him with it.
But just what trouble will the brothers find themselves in?
Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) – left
Ryan Connor has seemingly left the cobbles in a rather low-key exit alongside girlfriend Crystal.
The character, played by actor Ryan Prescott, decided to make the move to Glasgow alongside his girlfriend after a rocky few months following his horror acid attack and his romantic woes with Daisy.
However, the door has been left open with Coronation Street making no official announcement of his exit giving huge hopes that he will be back in 2024.
Ryan became an O-Vidz model during his latest few months on the show.
He began stripping off and performing explicit acts on video as well as taking part in x-rated live streams in order to drum up cash to fund his steroid addiction.
Ryan was compelled to turn to the adult platform after he opted to stay indoors following his acid attack and not take his old job back of being a waiter.
Crystal Hyde (Erin Austen) – left
Ryan Connor got a huge surprise as Crystal Hyde returned to Corrie.
Actress Erin Austen was last seen in the Street in early 2023, following Ryan’s acid attack.
Crystal made her debut in the show in March, 2023, flirting with Ryan and promising him a new job opportunity as a DJ in Ibiza.
But when she learned he had been badly disfigured during his acid attack, she wiped her hands clean of him and left the cobbles.
Daisy Midgeley was in charge of letting Ryan know what had happened but, as fans will remember, she impersonated Crystal to cheer him up.
Crystal was last heard of when Ryan found out she was comatose after a horrific accident, prompting him to realise he had been catfished.
Since then, Ryan forgave Daisy Midgeley and the pair allowed their romantic feelings to take over as they dragged each other to bed, despite her engagement to Daniel Osbourne.
However, despite her brief return, Crystal made a low-key exit alongside Ryan when they both decided to move to Glasgow in the hopes of having happy new life together with each other.
Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) – left
After more than two decades on our screens, Peter Barlow star Chris Gascoyne has left the show – and this time it seems to be for good.
Despite his departure the door has been left open for his return.
Earlier this year, Chris was cast in a stage production of Peter Pan as Captain Hook, a role he will be playing at the Alban Arena during the Christmas and New Year period.
On-screen, tension built up for Peter as he became involved in Stephen Reid’s serial killer storyline by selling off one of Rufus Donahue’s belongings following his murder.
However, his life has changed for good after he was held responsible for the death of Stephen Reid after he ran him over and killed him.
It shook his world as he had to come to terms with his actions even though the police had dropped any case against him.
Despite this, Peter began to struggle with life and in order to set him free, Carla encouraged him to take off and set sail with his old pal who had been begging for him to join their crew aboard a ship.
Realising that it was Peter’s only chance of happiness, Carla booked a one-way ticket for her husband.
Having agreed to go, Peter backed his bags on Christmas Day and headed off on Boxing Day morning, seemingly ending his marriage to Carla in the process.
Carla later confirmed to Roy that they had called it “a day” in order for him to live his life.
Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan) – joined
Dylan Wilson has made a controversial friend in the Street as part of a bullying storyline.
Luca Toolan joined Coronation Street in September, 2023, taking on the role of Mason Radcliffe, and was introduced to viewers as Ruby Dobbs’ bully.
After tormenting her alone, he recruited several others to help him bully her more.
In more recent scenes of the show, Mason caught the attention of Dylan and Liam Connor when the three of them skipped school together.
When he pressured them to smoke from a vape pen, Dylan felt sick but Liam had a severe asthma attack.
Mason ran off, leaving Dylan to call an ambulance for his pal.
Since then, Mason and his gang have been targeting Liam Connor with viewers predicting a tragic twist in the lad’s bullying storyline.
Mason’s bad behaviour is set to continue but what other sort of havoc will he wreak throughout the cobbles?
Bobby (Jack Carroll) – joined
Britain’s Got Talent star Jack Carroll will be joining the program in upcoming months as the estranged son of Rob Donovan, Bobby.
According to Corrie boss Iain MacLeod, the new character will be at the core of some drama-packed scenes in Corrie as he will show up out of the blue shortly after Christmas.
Bobby’s father Rob is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of popular resident Tina McIntyre.
So far, Bobby has done nothing but ruffle feathers with Carla and appears to be more causing trouble than he is worth with the character.
Bobby is currently living with his aunty following Peter’s departure but it seems Carla has been regretting her decision to allow him to stay.
Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn) – returned
Fans will undoubtedly be shocked to see Matt Milburn come back to Coronation Street as former Weatherfield County FC footballer Tommy Orpington.
When he first appeared in the cobbles, Tommy sought the help of Michelle Connor to organise his wedding.
His successful football career was halted after an accident in the Street and he was struck off from work for six months.
Tommy retired from playing in June, 2021, thus allowing James Bailey to be promoted to the number 9 in his place.
Soap bosses have decided to bring Tommy back in late 2023, ahead of Christmas.
Since then, he has embarked on an affair with established Corrie resident Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford).
Linda Hancock (Jacqueline Leonard) – returned
Joseph Brown will be reunited with his grandmother Linda in upcoming weeks.
Actress Jacqueline Leonard, who took on the role of Linda Hancock for the first time in 2015, will make a full-time return to the show as Joseph struggles.
But could she take him away from his father Chesney Brown?
“Joseph’s issues, which are on screen as we speak, culminate in him falling behind slightly at school”, Iain MacLeod explained.
“Then Joseph’s fairy godmother turns up in the shape of Linda, his grandmother.”
“She, as is her want, rides in and decides that she’s going to try and fix all this and starts throwing money at the situation, which puts Chesney and Gemma in this impossible quandary which is they feel that by accepting financial help from Linda, they’re seeding control of Joseph’s life a bit.”
Conflict is definitely on the horizon as Chesney and Gemma Winter, Joseph’s stepmother, find it hard to see Linda throw her money around to help.
“They feel instinctively, ‘This our son and we should be making these decisions and it doesn’t feel right that Linda is wading in with her chequebook and saving the day.’ ”
“But on the other side of it, they have to prioritise what’s right for Joseph, who is actually having a hard time and could do with the support. It’s a lot of fun in places, but we were trying to tell a very realistic story about family dynamics.”
Sarge Bailey (Ram John Holder) – left
The Bailey family are set for turmoil as Ed’s financial struggles continue.
But could one member of the large family bring some form of relief?
Former Desmond star Ram John Holder has been added to the show’s line-up and he is due to be another prominent character in the cobbles.
The 89-year-old finally rocked up the cobbles as Sarge Bailey, who is none other than Ed and Ronnie’s father.
“Ram has already been filming his scenes in Weatherfield, though viewers won’t get to see them for some months”, the source claimed.
“It’s a substantial role for him to have been cast in, though it will come as second nature [as] he’s a seasoned star of multiple dramas – including soaps.”
However, he has since left the cobbles for good after Ed’s explosive gambling habit was uncovered.
He has made his way back home after his fleeting stint but could he come back one day?
Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) – returned
Bethany Platt has made a triumphant return to the Corrie cobbles.
Actress Lucy Fallon has reprised her role after three years of absence and left the show when her character moved away to London for a new career opportunity.
Her exit left a grieving Daniel Osbourne heartbroken but he has since moved on with Rovers barmaid Daisy Midgeley.
Lucy Fallon herself teased trouble ahead for the couple while speaking to The Sun in September.
“I’m interested to see what they’ll do with Daniel, Daisy and Bethany. It’s going to be exciting”, she said.
And she certainly threw a spanner in the works as she slept with Daniel on New year’s Eve and now it appears that Daniel and Bethany’s romance is already on the up.
Fiz Dobbs (Jennie McAlpine) – returning
The year 2022 ended on a high note for Underworld machinist Fiz Stape as she FINALLY tied the knot with on-off flame Tyrone Dobbs.
But soap legend Jennie McAlpine had some great news of her own off-screen.
The actress recently announced she was expecting her third child with her husband Chris Farr.
“Alan [Halsall aka Tyrone Dobbs] was the first person I told”, she told OK! Magazine.
“I was thinking, ‘I might not be feeling brilliant and if you bring any butter near me I might feel sick’. We’ve been busy, so he’s really looked after me – and the bosses.”
“They all know and they’re all really happy. We might have to start hiding Fiz behind a washing basket again!”
As of January, 2023, the Fiz star was six months pregnant and she left the cobbles in May, 2023.
Serial killer Stephen Reid sent the beloved machinist away to take the helm in Norwich but she will keep in touch with her family during her absence.
It is unknown how long Jennie will be staying away from the show but her on-screen alter ego is said to be working away from Weatherfield for six months.
This would mean Jennie McAlpine could potentially reprise her role at the end of this year.
Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8pm on ITV.
