7 hours ago
Coronation Street star confirms exit as she jets off to Australia after revealing plans to emigrate
A CORONATION Street star has confirmed her soap exit as she jets off to Australia.
The soap personality was working as a jobbing actress before she landed her role on the long-running ITV show.
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Farrel Hegarty began playing Corrie's troublesome Lou Michaelis earlier this year.
Taking to Instagram, the actress revealed she has joined partner in Australia.
Farrel posted snaps from the journey on her story- as well as when she and her partner were reunited.
The star had previously admitted that her contract on the show was only for a finite about of time.
She also revealed having originally intended to move to Australia -before landing the role in Coronation Street.
Lou arrived alongside husband Mick, as the pair moved into adjoining Mawdsley Street.
Addressing her upcoming exit, Farrel previously told The Mirror: "Joe [Layton] and I came in together and will leave together.
"How we do it, I can't say, but it's brilliant being part of the show.
"Watching the other actors is like a masterclass in acting. When I do film my final scenes, I'll probably cry."
Ahead of their debut, Lou and Mick had been billed as the soap's new "nightmare neighbours".
Coronation Street signs TikTok & Casualty stars as 'nightmare neighbours' set to 'make life hell' for Cobbles residents
Speaking at the time of her casting, Farrel said: 'I'm delighted and so grateful to be joining the cast of Coronation Street.
"I have genuinely been blown away by how ridiculously warm and nice everyone is.
'Lou is definitely an exciting character to play because she's got good and bad parts to her, she's a life force and full of beans.
"She's a very colourful person who likes to make waves and try to cause chaos.
"But she also has that strong family loyalty, especially between Mick
and Lou, they are thick as thieves and will stick up for each other, even when they probably shouldn't…'
Since arriving, the Michaelis clan haven't been too popular in Weatherfield.
Namely, due to Mick brutally killing popular cop Craig Tinker last month.
History of the Coronation Street set
By Jake Penkethman, TV Reporter
1960-1968 - Whilst the Coronation Street set remained on Quay Street for 53 years, it actually had three separate studio sites. The first was an entirely indoor wooden set which was used for the first eight years of filming. This encompassed a replica of the Street built entirely indoors. The set was known to be awkward for actors to use and the houses brought to three quarter scale.
1968-1982 - In 1968, the addition of an outdoor set was created to adjoin the existing indoor set which was still used for filming right up until 1982. The set was used only when required with many of the show's cast reportedly hating it and describing it as 'the coldest place on Earth'.
1982-2013 - A brand new set was officially constructed in 1982 and was almost built fully to scale but still only permitted for one car to drive down the cobbled street. The house were purpose-built using reclaimed Salford brick in order to give it the most authentic feel possible. During these years, some of the show's buildings were adapted to allow for both interior and exterior filming at the same time. These locations included Elliott's Butchers, Barlow's Buys, Prima Doner and Webster's Autos. The final scenes to be recorded on this site occurred in December 2013. By early 2014, it began operating as a tourist attraction for around two years before ultimately being demolished and re-purposed in 2017.
2014-present - In early 2014, the show's set moved to the TV hub of the North - MediaCityUK in nearby Salford Quays. It is now located a stone's throw from major TV studio Dock 10 as well as the BBC's base in the North - home to Blue Peter, Newsround, BBC Breakfast and BBC Sport. The new set was even bigger and built to 9/10 the scale of a real street and allowed for two card to be travelling down the road at opposite sides for the very first time. The site has even undergone major expansions during its 10 years. Just four years after opening in 2018, a brand new set extension was unveiled which introduced viewers to Victoria Gardens for the first time in its history. The Weatherfield North tram stop also became visible as did a series of shops which became used as part of product placement advertising deals. Brands to have been seen on the Street so far include a Co-Op, a Costa Coffee and a branch of Hay's Travel. Four years later in 2022, another brand new set was unveiled, this time being the heavily mentioned Weatherfield Precinct. It became the first time in 62 years that the area had ever been seen on screens. It fearued a variety of shop fronts, a playground and a number of small flats which have begun to house more and more residents on the street in recent months.
Viewers also learned about the complicated past between the couple and police detective Kit Green.
Lou and Kit had a secret fling years ago - resulting in the birth of her now-teenage son Brody.
But just how will Mick and Lou's exit from the cobbles play out?
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
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