Inside Corrie's secret crisis as bosses forced to make big change amid cast cull
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Bosses on Coronation Street have called last orders on a lucrative perk enjoyed by the soap's stars and the cast are not happy about it. Producers of the long-running show have infuriated some of the cast by reducing the number of established characters filming inside the iconic Rovers Return pub in a bid to save money, with an insider claiming "Corrie is on its knees financially.".
The ITV soap, which celebrates 65 years on air later this year, is currently going through a bit of a rocky period as big name stars depart from the show amid it's cash worries. Already this year, Coronation Street have confirmed Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley) are set to depart Weatherfield.
Corrie fans said goodbye to Helen Worth (Gail Platt) on Christmas Day and the likes of Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster), Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) and Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt) are also part of the massive cast exodus, sparking concern over the future of Britain's oldest soap.
According to insiders, "Corrie is on its knees financially and bosses are being forced to make hard decisions" thanks to TV production costs soaring while the advertising market funding them has all-but collapsed. "The cast are not happy but ITV have no choice but to slash costs," a source says.
One new policy implemented by show bosses has particularly irked Corrie stars, reports claim. The decision to slash the number of established characters in scenes taking place in the Rovers Return has been made in an attempt to reduce costs. Whenever a character appears in an episode they receive a per-episode fee regardless of how long they appear on screen for.
