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Coronation Street hand new contract to one of show’s biggest stars amid cast cull and cobbles exits
It will be a sigh of relief for the star who is facing a massive tax bill after his company was liquidated
CORONATION Street have handed one of their long-serving stars a brand new contract amid a cast cull.
Bosses on the ailing soap have secured a fan-favourite character for least another year on the cobbles.
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Simon Gregson will continue to play taxi driver Steve McDonald in Coronation Street after his contract expired late last year.
The Sun can reveal he's inked a new year-long deal with ITV to remain on screens.
A soap insider said: "Simon Gregson signed a new contract in December to stay on the show.
"He’s a soap legend so Corrie without him is unthinkable.
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"He’s going through a tough time money-wise so the contract and knowledge he’ll be around for another year (and probably many years to come!) will be a relief."
It comes after The Sun revealed Simon Gregson has been clobbered with a £40,000 bill to pay accountants liquidating his production firm.
He has been charged more than £500-an-hour by the finance chiefs.
Simon already faces losing his house over the closure of his company, which owes the tax office and a bank £165,000.
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And his conduct in transferring £252,000 from Simon Gregson Productions Ltd into a private account is being probed by the government as part of the process of any bankruptcy.
EastEnders star defends rival soap Coronation Street amid crisis on the cobbles
Meanwhile, Coronation Street has will see a raft of departures over the coming months.
Stars such as Paddy Bever and Shelley King have announced they've left the soap.
Five other stars — Charlotte Jordan, Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, and Luca Toolan — have announced they are leaving or being written out since November 2024.
Corrie cash crisis: shock exits for 2025
ITV bosses are locked in a battle to save the cash-strapped soap.
This means that a number of stars have either been axed from or have abandoned the long-running serial drama.
Colson Smith - Craig Tinker
The character of Craig Tinker has been axed by bosses after 14 years. After he was told of the news in Autumn 2024, Colson Smith confirmed that would be written out of the show with scenes to air later this year. Craig's on-screen mum, Beth Tinker, also left the show in the summer when actress Lisa George was written out from the role.
Sue Cleaver - Eileen Grimshaw
After 25 years playing Eileen Grimshaw, former I'm A Celebrity campmate Sue Cleaver will quit the show. The Sun on Sunday reported in January that she's already begun to film her exit scenes. However the character will not be killed off in case Sue opts to make a return in the future.
Luca Toolan - Mason Radcliffe
Bosses decided to axe the teenage character after just 16 months after he first joined the show. Recent scenes saw Mason stabbed by his criminal brothers after his pal Dylan brought a knife in an attempt to defend him.
Sue Devaney - Debbie Webster
In November 2024, we revealed that Debbie Webster is set to be killed off after 40 years on the cobbles. The character will die as part of a heartbreaking long-running dementia storyline.
Charlotte Jordan - Daisy Midgeley
The actress became the fifth star to leave Coronation Street in just one month. We revealed that she will bow out of the ITV soap later this year after four years on-screen. Charlotte told sources that she's hungry to see what other opportunities await.
Shelley King - Yasmeen Metcalfe
The actress has played Yasmeen Metcalfe on the cobbles for the past 11 years and we revealed in January that she finished filming her final scenes. This follows the departure of her on-screen partner Stu Carpenter.
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