Coronation Street in chaos as ‘SIX more stars plan to quit’
5 May 2019, 08:27
TV insiders say the cast and crew are sick of gruelling hours, poor pay and animosity behind-the-scenes
Coronation Street is in chaos as six more stars are expected to quit the soap, a TV insider has claimed.
Morale has hit an “all-time-low” according to sources who say the cast and crew are fed up with their gruelling work schedule, poor pay deals and a tense atmosphere on set.
“I know of another half dozen actors who are considering their positions,” an insider told The Sunday Mirror.
“The bosses have had a series of meetings to discuss the situation, but don’t seem to have come up with any concrete plans. They've got this old-school mindset of ‘no one is bigger than Corrie’.”
Seven stars have already announced their departure from the long-running ITV soap this year, including Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt), Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), Faye Brookes (Kate Connor), Tristan Gemmill (Robert Preston), Katie McGlynn (Sinead Tinker), Bhavna Limbachia (Rana Habeeb) and Connie Hyde (Gina Seddon).
Following Lucy’s announcement earlier this week, one source said: “The pay gaps have become an open secret and the newer names know they are working far longer hours for a fraction of the cash. It has sparked a lot of unhappiness.”
“Lucy is just the latest to get fed up of seeing great opportunities go to waste because Corrie won’t let her take them on.
“She won’t be the last.”
Corrie producer Iain McLeod has been accused of “losing the dressing room”, while younger members of the cast are reportedly frustrated they can’t top up their pay packet with endorsement deals on social media.
Another source said: “The whole cast are miserable. They believe bosses are being hypocritical by forcing them to endorse sponsors like Costa and Co-Op on set but not allowing them to endorse anything on personal social media. They find the product placements embarrassing.”
However when asked about the high turnover of actors, an insider from the ITV soap insisted it was “business as usual” and “the nature of soaps”.
