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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
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.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 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)
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Coronation Street confirms emotional exit story for Daisy Midgeley as fans get first look at her departure and actress hints at next career move
Coronation Street fans have been given their first look at Daisy Midgeley's explosive and highly emotional exit from the soap in a brand new trailer. Charlotte Jordan originated the role of Rovers Return barmaid Daisy on the ITV soap in November 2020, going on to be a part of a number of hard-hitting storylines. The actress, 29, won praise for Daisy's horrific stalker ordeal and subsequent acid attack plot, winning the British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 2023. But in January, she announced that she was bidding goodbye to the cobbles to 'explore other opportunities'. Her final scenes as Daisy are set to air next month in a gripping and emotionally charged storyline, with the latest trailer giving viewers their first glimpse at the dramatic farewell. After a recent whirlwind of drama involving a secret pregnancy, catfishing, and tangled romances, Daisy is ready to embark on a new chapter at the other side of the world, leaving a void in the heart of Weatherfield and devastation in her wake. Emotions will be running high as step-mum Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews) desperately pleads with her to reconsider her decision. While a heartfelt conversation with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) will play a crucial role in her final moments on the street. Discussing her thoughts on Daisy's departure, Charlotte said: 'I think it's very bittersweet for Daisy to be leaving. 'Weatherfield has been her home for a while now and, early on, was giving her all the things she wanted – family, community, stability, people to love more than she perhaps loves herself – but it's also been the source of so much trauma for her. 'I think we've watched her slowly try to pick up the pieces since her stalking storyline, but she's ultimately realised she doesn't need to stay in a place that's caused her so much heartbreak. 'And it's just as well she's running far away to the other side of the planet, as she's left a mountain of destruction and angry people in her wake!' While reflecting on her own feelings about leaving, she said: 'As for me, I'm feeling really grateful for my years on the show and the people I've gotten to work with. 'Producer Kate has been so supportive about me wanting to go back out into the audition circuit and very generous with Daisy's exit story, as she really wanted to do the character justice. 'And I can't tell you how much fun the other cast members and I had playing out this last hurrah.' Recalling filming her final scenes, Charlotte joked that she cried so much on her last day she was 'medically dehydrated' and gushed that the crew of Corrie 'made it so special for me'. She confessed: 'I'm not a big crier. But let me tell you, I cried on and off for about four hours straight. 'My last scene was with the beautiful Rob Mallard, and we were meant to cry in the scene – but we were both dry as a bone. As soon as they yelled our final "cut," we both burst into tears. Typical. 'The Corrie gang made it so special for me. The canteen made me my favourite lunch – which made me cry. The art department drew me a beautiful card – which made me cry. 'I would look over to Channique or Julia or Sal during our last lunch break and see them crying – which made me cry. I think I was medically dehydrated by the end of the day.' She went on: 'It's a very special building, and I have loved it. And it's just goodbye for now, not goodbye forever.' Charlotte is set to cash in on her time on the cobbles with a money-spinning job overseas, joining co-star Sally Ann Matthews for the Jenny & Daisy Rovers Return live gigs in Canada. The pair promise to give audiences tell-all interviews about their time on Corrie and behind-the-scenes secrets. The gigs cost £40 a head to attend, while fans can also shell out another £60 to pose for photos with the actresses. She is not the only star to recently leave the show, with fellow stars Sue Cleaver, Sue Devaney, Colson Smith, and Luca Toolan all announcing their departures in the past few months. It has been reported that up to 75 other members of cast and crew are getting axed in a bid to cut costs amid the soap's alleged cash crisis. Corrie's financial troubles are said to be the result of a fall in advertising revenue and increased production costs. While there's been a number of reports about different drastic measures producers have been taking to try and save money, including cutting actors' scenes in the Rovers Return. Both Corrie and fellow ITV soap Emmerdale run regular set tours in a bid to earn more cash while Weatherfield now has it's own EE shop in a 'product placement' deal. By contrast, BBC rival EastEnders is still in a healthy financial position thanks to the licence fee and overseas deals. But sources claim there are concerns over whether Corrie - which turns 65 this year - will make it to 70 years in its current format, following reports of a revolt from the cast over poor working conditions and low salaries. And 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 written off the show in order to keep the more established stars.
