soap swipe
Former Coronation Street writer takes swipe at ITV soap amid ratings slump and budget cuts
Fans have shared their worries about the soap's future
FORMER Coronation Street writer Daran Little has taken a swipe at the ITV soap amid its ratings slump.
Daran was a prolific Corrie scribe, having penned over 100 episodes between 2000 and 2010.
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Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Daran revealed that he hasn't tuned in to the programme in over a decade.
A fan wrote to the soap legend on the social media platform, penning: "@DaranLittle I was wondering if you still watch Coronation Street since you left, as the former historian do you notice any possible continuity errors?"
To which he simply replied: "I haven’t watched since 2010."
After leaving Coronation Street in 2010, Daran went on to write for BBC rival EastEnders.
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Meanwhile, Corrie fans are fearing the show won't survive and admit they've 'never been so worried' about its future.
One wrote on a soap fan forum: "It's pretty scary when you look how much they [the ratings] have all dropped since 2019.
"If you look at March average compared to 2019 - Corrie and Emmerdale lost around 38% of it's audience, EastEnders around 36%.
"2019 doesn't feel that long ago and Corrie was getting over 7 million viewers. What will the picture look like in 2029?"
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Another added: "ITV need to give more control back to the producer. Otherwise, Corrie will not survive.
"I've never been so worried about the show as I am right now."
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A third commented: "I genuinely think that the cast size is the biggest problem.
"It’s been allowed to grow out of all proportion over the years. Sometimes people cite the number of episodes as the reason why they need so many characters.
"But, they only have one additional half hour now compared to what they had 20 years ago when the cast was significantly smaller and it felt like nearly everyone served some purpose.
"You would hope that with the rumoured budget cuts that they might finally consider cutting back on the character count."
Offering a different view, another fan wrote: "This is a 60 plus year old show still pulling it's weight. If you worked at ITV you would think it's doing something right to achieve that.
"I'm not suggesting the show is great at all but I can from their [perspective think] they would want more of the same."
An Ofcom report which was released in August last year revealed Coronation Street and fellow ITV soap Emmerdale had suffered record low TV ratings.
While previously reported that cast have had their scenes slashed in a cost-saving measure - sparking fury behind the scenes.
According to the Mirror, show bosses have decreased the number of extras used, and increased “back-to-back” filming.
Coronation Street's 2024 shock exits
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza's grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon's been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she'll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.
An insider told the publication: “The changes haven’t gone down well with the cast.
“Many of them are panicking about what these cuts mean for their futures.
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"The Corrie cast is absolutely massive – it has well over 50 cast members in total – and some of them haven’t filmed for weeks, so they are starting to get really worried about the axe falling on them before long."
Coronation Street airs on ITV and is available to watch on ITVX
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