Coronation Street are reportedly offering cast members shorter contracts amid an ITV ‘budget crisis’.
The news comes following a wave of character exits confirmed across both Corrie and sister soap Emmerdale, plus both festive outings failing to reach the Christmas Day Top 10 for viewing figures.
Rival soap EastEnders managed to make the list – with two outings coming in at 5th and 8th place.
Audiences bid a fond farewell to continuing drama legend Helen Worth over the festive period, when she departed her Gail Platt role after 50 years.
The episode secured just 2.6 million viewers, compared to the BBC soap’s combined 3.98 and 4.39 million.
Now, according to The Sun, cast are fearing what this might mean for their contracts beyond 2025.
‘The cast of Corrie is huge and some aren’t getting enough episodes’ a source told the publication.
‘A few paid per episode are struggling to pay mortgages are having to supplement income with personal appearances and ads on Instagram.
‘A lot of cast members are now on ‘guest contracts’ like Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford.’
Kate’s Tracy McDonald departed for pastures new in Spain with boyfriend Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn) in April, though has made regular returns since.
In upcoming scenes, Evelyn Plummer will decide to study law at university, with Maureen explaining that she took the decision to temporarily leave so that she could have a ‘gap year’ with husband-to-be David Turner.
The source continued: ‘These are short term, so they can come and go and take extended breaks.
‘The cast have been told they can’t guarantee any contracts beyond the end of 2025.
‘Bosses are trying to use a lot of the younger cast who are on less money so the episodes are cheaper to make.
‘They have a knife-crime storyline coming up featuring the youngsters when one of them will get stabbed.’
Earlier this year, Metro exclusively revealed that Sue Devaney will be bowing out of her Debbie Webster role as part of a dementia storyline, although she is expected to remain with the show for some time.
Producer Kate Brooks told us: ‘There are a few exits [in 2025], and some unexpected ones that will send shockwaves.
‘People might not expect the exits, but there are a few.’
Marc Baylis is returning as Rob Donovan (Picture: ITV)
But she also promised some big returns, with Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis) staging a comeback in the coming weeks.
‘There are other familiar faces coming back in 2025 which I will not disclose, but a few people will be returning to cause their own forms of chaos’ she confirmed.
New characters will also be descending on the cobbles, with Kate revealing a ‘neighbours from hell’ scenario as a new clan moves in.
