EXCLUSIVE Coronation Street star reveals the cast's reaction to the soap's huge cuts after ITV soap's weekly episode count was slashed amid crisis fears
Coronation Street star Rob Mallard has revealed the cast's reaction to the soap's recent cuts, with its episode count set to be slashed by bosses in 2025.
Soaring production costs and a collapse in advertising revenue are said to have put the future of the long-running soap in jeopardy and sparked a number of budget cuts.
Speaking to MailOnline on the red carpet at Saturday's Soap Awards, Rob, who plays Daniel Osbourne, shared the cast's reaction to the changes.
He said: 'People who have been in the show for a long time said they thought it was going to be better, because they seem to remember it being like that at some point in the past, and I think in terms of the way we structure our episode.
'We won't have to have so many artificial cliffhangers, because there's no coming back for part two. It's all there in one, so it's going to make the storytelling a lot clearer.'
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After Lucy Fallon exited the soap earlier this year to give birth to her second child, Rob shared when fans can expect to see Bethany Platt back on screens.
He added: 'She's coming back, she's gone off to have her baby, from what I understand she was coming back pretty much as soon as she was able to.'
From January 2026, Corrie will reduce to six weekly episodes to just five, airing alongside Emmerdale in a 'new soaps power hour.'
It's been reported the ITV soap is in trouble due to an alleged cash crisis and a revolt from the cast over poor working conditions and low salaries.
In January, an insider claimed some of the show's well known actors could see their scenes in the Rovers Return cut to save cash.
As more well-established stars are paid more per episode, the show is said to be relying more on its newer characters as those actors are paid less.
Salaries on the cobbles vary significantly with established stars like Bill Roache said to earn £2,000 per episode while newbies usually get £400 per appearance
Gail Platt - played by Helen Worth for 50 years - appeared in just 26 out of 304 episodes in her final year on the soap, while Bill only played Ken for 48 episodes.
While some of the show's mid-ranking and younger actors are been said to be worried they'll be written off the show in order to keep the more established stars.
Last year, the show's new boss warned the multiple characters will face the boot as she opened up about several 'unexpected exits' in 2025.
Other actors have reportedly vented their fury on a WhatsApp group over fears they could be next.
A source said: 'There's a WhatsApp group which has been pinging with messages about concerns of where the axe will fall next.'
'It's a tough time on the soap and it's filtering down. There is a feeling more people will be cut to save money and to keep the best-paid stars like Bill Roache and Jack P Shepherd on board.'
The insider added that cast members have also complained about the long working hours.
They added: 'Filming is tough. One person moaned they were 'worked like dogs'. The days of bumper pay are gone.'
The best and brightest in serial drama were in attendance for the Soap Awards, which will be broadcast on ITV on June 5.
It was the BBC 's EastEnders that cleaned up on the night with eight awards while Hollyoaks received three, Emmerdale two and Coronation Street only one.
They kicked off their wins with Best Episode which went to Phil's Psychosis: The Mitchells In 1985.
EastEnders also won Scene of the Year for Angie Watts' Shock Return while Navin Chowdhry won Best Villain for his role of Nish Panesar.
Steve McFadden, who plays fan favourite Phil Mitchell, won the Best Dramatic Performance award while Patsy Palmer won Best Comedic Performance for her role as Bianca Jackson.
Rudolph Walker & Angela Wynter (Patrick & Yolande Trueman) delivered another win for EastEnders as they won Best On-Screen Partnership.
Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, won the Best Leading Performer Award and EastEnders also won the most coveted award of all: Best British Soap.
Hollyoaks' three awards started with Isabelle Smith who won Best Newcomer for her role as Frankie Osborne.
The Osbornes then won the Best Family award while Hollyoaks' sibling sexual abuse storyline received the Best Storyline award.
Emmerdale's Amelia Flanagan won Best Young Performer for playing April Windsor while camera operator Mike Plant took home the Tony Warren Award which is given to employees working behind the scenes.
Coronation Street's sole gong of the night was the Outstanding Achievement Award which went to David Neilson who has played Roy Cropper for 30 years.
British Soap Awards 2025: Full List of Winners
Viewer Voted Categories:
Best British Soap:
Coronation Street
EastEnders - WINNER
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks
Best Leading Performer:
Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater, EastEnders) - WINNER
Kellie Bright (Linda Carter, EastEnders)
Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle, Emmerdale)
Beth Cordingly (Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale)
Villain of the Year:
Calum Lill (Joel Deering, Coronation Street)
Navin Chowdhry (Nish Panesar, EastEnders) - WINNER
Ned Porteous (Joe Tate, Emmerdale)
Tyler Conti (Abe Fielding, Hollyoaks)
Best Comedy Performance:
Jack P Shepherd (David Platt, Coronation Street)
Patsy Palmer (Bianca Jackson, EastEnders) - WINNER
Nicola Wheeler (Nicola King, Emmerdale)
Nicole Barber-Lane (Myra McQueen, Hollyoaks)
Panel Voted Categories:
Best Family:
The Platts (Coronation Street)
The Slaters (EastEnders)
The Dingles (Emmerdale)
The Osbornes (Hollyoaks) - WINNER
Best Dramatic Performance:
Peter Ash (Paul Foreman, Coronation Street)
Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell, EastEnders) - WINNER
Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle, Emmerdale)
Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks)
Best Single Episode:
Mason's death (Coronation Street)
Phil's psychosis: the Mitchells in 1985 (EastEnders) - WINNER
April's life on the streets (Emmerdale)
Hollyoaks time jump (Hollyoaks)
Best On-Screen Partnership:
Alison King and Vicky Myers (Carla Connor and Lisa Swain, Coronation Street)
Rudolph Walker and Angela Wynter (Patrick and Yolande Trueman, EastEnders) - WINNER
William Ash and Beth Cordingly (Caleb and Ruby Miligan, Emmerdale)
Nathaniel Dass and Oscar Curtis (Dillon Ray and Lucas Hay, Hollyoaks)
Best Newcomer:
Jacob Roberts (Kit Green, Coronation Street)
Laura Doddington (Nicola Mitchell, EastEnders)
Shebz Miah (Kammy Hadiq, Emmerdale)
Isabelle Smith (Frankie Osborne, Hollyoaks) - WINNER
Best Storyline:
Paul's battle with MND (Coronation Street)
Phil Mitchell: Hypermasculinity in crisis (EastEnders)
Belle and Tom - Domestic Abuse (Emmerdale)
Sibling sexual abuse (Hollyoaks) - WINNER
Best Young Performer:
Will Flanagan (Joseph Winter-Brown, Coronation Street)
Sonny Kendall (Tommy Moon, EastEnders)
Amelia Flanagan (April Windsor, Emmerdale) - WINNER
Noah Holdsworth (Oscar Osborne, Hollyoaks)
Scene of the Year:
Mason's death (Coronation Street)
Angie Watts' shock return (EastEnders) - WINNER
Amy's deathly plunge reveals a grisly secret (Emmerdale)
Mercedes confronts her mortality (Hollyoaks)
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