Coronation Street double exit ‘sealed’ with emotional goodbye after 27 years on ITV soap
Coronation Street fans may be set to say goodbye to another staple character on the ITV cobbles as concerns grow just days after Simon Barlow's (Alex Bain) exit
Another Coronation Street favourite could leave the ITV cobbles this week as suspicions grow around the wellness group, The Institute.
Last week, viewers said an emotional farewell to TV legend Simon Barlow (played by Alex Bain) after 16 years on the show. After overcoming his battle with alcoholism, the TV hunk has decided to begin afresh.
On New Year’s Day, his father Peter (Chris Gascoyne) left Weatherfield to explore the world after he landed a job on a yacht. And now, his son will be joining him on his wild adventure.
It’s fair to say his mum Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) was furious to learn his decision after she returned from her retreat with the Institute. The star was enraged that nobody bothered to consult her about this big decision.
However, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) insisted that he left a message with her community leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper) earlier in the week. Since his exit, the doting mum has isolated herself more and more from her friends and family and thrown her efforts into being a key part in The Institute.
Meanwhile, her sister Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) has grown increasingly concerned for her sister and her connection to the wellness group. Toyah is convinced that the group is actually a cult which is determined to swindle their followers out of thousands of pounds.
Shortly after Simon left the cobbles, Toyah overheard Leanne telling someone on a video call that she loved them, believing it to be Rowan. Now, Daily Star has quizzed one of the world’s most popular ‘creative’ AI tools to see what the future holds for Leanne.
And it appears viewers may be saying goodbye to another beloved character after the AI shared its suspicions that the doting mum could be following in her son’s footsteps. It told us: “It is certainly possible that Leanne Battersby could leave Coronation Street and join The Institute full time.
“Leanne has been manipulated by Rowan, the leader of a cult-like organisation. Leanne believes the Institute is helping her deal with past trauma, but those around her suspect it’s harmful.”
And AI isn’t the only one convinced that the businesswoman will abandon her friends and family and leave the soap. After watching the dramatic scenes unfold throughout the week, viewers flooded to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their suspicions online.
One user penned: “Any chance Leanne could leave with Simon?? I really don’t know how Nick puts up with her [two annoyed emojis] #Corrie.” Another agreed: “#Corrie Leanne will go running back to The Institute [sad emoji].”
A third echoed: “You just know Leanne is going to leave the street and join The Institute only for Toyah and Nick to drag her out kicking and screaming.” It comes after Toyah was horrified to learn that X-rated clips began to circulate online with her face digitally printed onto pornographic images.
The shocking footage was uploaded just days after she started investigating into The Institute. She immediately reported it to the police, but officers were unable to trace the assailant who leaked the deepfake footage and couldn’t take them down.
Last week, the businesswoman found herself walking away in handcuffs after the body of her stillborn child was discovered under the precinct. Viewers will have to stay tuned to see if Leanne will be whisked away to join The Institute full time and whether Toyah will finally bring down Rowan and the wellness group.
