Coronation Street cast: New, leaving and returning characters

THIS year in the cobbles has been a dramatic one so far as new explosive storylines began to play out.

Soap bosses teased some heavily-anticipated Coronation Street returns and dramatic exits at the start of 2024 which have left audiences in shock as they started to play out. Here's what has changed in Weatherfield over the past few months.

Gail Platt (Helen Worth) - leaving

Legendary Coronation Street star Helen Worth has shocked fans by announcing she will be leaving the soap later this year.

The actress, 73, has played Gail for 50 years but is saying goodbye to the role.

Bosses have crafted an emotional exit for the character and are staying tight-lipped on what it is.

Helen will start filming her exit story next month and the emotional scenes will be on screen at the end of the year.

Helen said: “This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world. 

“I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers who were very kind and understanding. 

“I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out, and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew. 

“The past 50 years have flown by and I don't think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.”

Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) - leaving

Paul is set to be killed off this summer 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 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.

Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) - left

Fans were left utterly devastated as Ryan Prescott, 35, said goodbye to his alter-ego.

The character struggled to overcome the trauma that was left after a horrific acid attack.

This was before he was thrown in a love triangle when Daisy Midgeley (played by Charlotte Jordan) began to harbour romantic feelings for him.

They grew closer after they were caught together in the Rovers by Justin Rutherford who had planned to throw acid in the barmaid's face.

But Crystal Hyde (Erin Austen) also wanted to get to know him after she came back to the cobbles.

The pair ended up getting together and that's when Ryan made the life-changing decision to move to Glasgow as he took up a new job,

Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) - left

In December 2023, Sair Khan announced she was pregnant and expecting her first child with partner Nathan.

She eventually gave birth to her baby boy in May 2024 as she revealed the happy news on her social media.

But as a result, she was forced to take a step away from the ITV set for her maternity leave.

At the time of her exit, Alya came to blows with her former boss Adam Barlow after she quit working for Barlow's Legal Services.

This was after Fabian's offered to continue training her with them as they offered her a day-a-week at collage to improve her legal knowledge.

However, the pair reunited temporarily as they worked on a joint case together.

During the process, Alya was left conflicted on whether to go to Ireland or stay in Weatherfield after kissing Adam.

Beth Tinker (Lisa George) - left

Viewers quickly took the character of Beth Tinker to their hearts when she made her debut on the soap back in 2011.

Back in June after 13 years on the soap we revealed that Lisa George filmed her final scenes on the long-running ITV serial drama.

At the time, a source told us: "Beth’s a larger than life character who’s never shied away from a clash.

"Her exit will be as dramatic as she is."

the actress recently opened up about her health issues, revealing she is facing going blind after recieving a diagnosis of NAION - non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy - which causes sudden vision loss.

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.

Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) - left

Alex Bain, 22, first joined Coronation Street back in 2008 playing the son of Peter Barlow.

In December 2023, we revealed that the star was going to leave the soap and viewers tuned in to watch his final scenes at the beginning of June

The troubled teenager was being lured into the Altovalent Institute, the same cult that mum Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) fell prey to.

His stepdad Nick and aunt Toyah did not want to see the vulnerage lad head in the same way so they took drastic action.

They called Peter who reached out to his son directly as he invited him to follow him abroad.

He then shared an emotional goodbye with his mum at the Bistro as he headed away from Weatherfield in a taxi cab, off to sunnier skies.

After filming his final scenes, Alex admitted he now wants to use the opportunity to explore his other passion, dance.

"I will always be a dancer and one day I would love to be a choreographer and teach dance and ultimately open my own dance and performance school," he explained.

"I am currently finally taking my ballet and modern intermediate exams that I should have done when I was 16. I need those qualifications to have a chance of teaching and doing choreography.

"Acting goes hand in hand with dancing though so hopefully I will be able to continue to do both.

"But dance is definitely my focus at the moment. I’d like to do a dance teaching course. I've been able to attend a full week's worth of classes, which is something I haven't been able to do for a while."

Linda Hancock (Jacqueline Leonard) - returned

Joseph Brown was reunited with grandmother Linda at the start of this year.

Actress Jacqueline Leonard, who took on the role of Linda Hancock for the first time in 2015, to the show as Joseph was rushed to hospital with health issues.

She has attempted to intervene in the boy's upbringing to make his life better over the past few months, but received opposition from his step mum Gemma Winter.

Linda offered to pay for Joseph to attend a private school but that left Gemma furious.

"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."

The show's executive producer added: "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."

Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper) - returned

Despite a hefty sentence of 25 years for grooming and raping Bethany Platt, Nathan Curtis made a dramatic return to the cobbles.

Throughout the award-winning storyline in 2017 he plyed her with booze and drugs before abusing her in harrowing scenes.

Now, he made a terrifying comeback during the reconstruction of Lauren Bolton's disappearance.

Bethany caught sight of a murky figure skulking in the background as he donned a high-vis jacket.

She was shaken to her very core after she appeared to recognise him as her sex attacker Nathan Curtis.

When we revealed his return to the infamous street, a source told us: "Nathan’s easily the worst villain Corrie’s ever produced.

"The grooming storyline was one of the soap’s most important. The hope is that revisiting it will boost the show.

"It’s a risk but it’s one that producers hope will pay off."

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 announced she was expecting her third child with her husband Chris Farr.