Coronation Street fans may have to say goodbye to one of their favourite Weatherfield residents as they could face the chop, according to the long-running show’s boss.

The ITV soap hasn’t been short of heartbreaking exits over the years, and it seems like there will be some big departures to come as the programme celebrates its 65th anniversary.

Ahead of the huge milestone in December, Iain MacLeod, the executive producer for continuing drama at ITV Studios, which is responsible for both Corrie and Emmerdale, hinted a big character is set for the chop amid plans a series of huge episodes to mark the milestone.

“The soap gods demand a sacrifice when you have an event of this kind,” Iain told the Mirror. He went on to share. “It’s going to be shocking. There will be lots of trauma, lots of drama, lots of twists.”

Teasing the drama will surround characters we’ve come to know and love, Iain said he’s not scared to be ruthless. “Sometimes the biggest and best exits are for characters that you care the most about.

“There’s always that equation where you think, ‘If they were to go, the viewers will really care, but what damage will it do to the landscape of the show in terms of the ability to tell stories?

Iain MacLeod has been teasing what’s to come(Image: Getty Images)
“It’s a big responsibility so we do agonise about it quite a lot and argue about it. Our story conferences are fiery places at times and this period of the show is no different.”

Corrie will mark its 65th anniversary in December and as well as exits, its been teased that some much-loved character will return. “There will be a few familiar faces coming back,” Iain confirmed.

It comes as both Corrie and Emmerdale prepare for a monumental crossover episode which will mark the two shows’ new transmission pattern on ITV.

It was announced in May that the hour-long episode will air in January 2026 as ITV and STV announce a new hour of soap schedule, which will see half hour Emmerdale episodes air at 8pm, followed by 30 minute episodes of Coronation Street at 8.30pm.

Producers of the two soaps said at the time that the special episode will have “everlasting consequences for everyone involved”, saying the two shows’ universes in Manchester and Yorkshire had been linked in an “ingenious way”.

They say the episode will be self-contained, but its events will have “repercussions for both communities and see them linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters arrive into both soaps”.

Now, Iain has teased of the upcoming anniversary and special episode: “All of it is feeding into this crossover episode we are doing in January. It’s going to get bigger and bigger. Things will peak in a big way.”