With the usual outrageous drama kicking off in Albert Square, it's no surprise to Coronation Street fans how shocking the latest stories can be when they hit the headlines.
However, it's never easy when we have to say goodbye to some of our favourite Coronation Street characters — and 2022 was a year full of emotional, dramatic and unexpected farewells.
Kelly Neelan (Millie Gibson), Imran Habeeb (Charlie de Melo), James Bailey (Nathan Graham), Emma Brooker (Alexandra Mardell) and many more all left the soap last year.
We also welcomed back a number of familiar faces to the Cobbles, from Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock) to Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) and Wendy Crozier (Roberta Kerr).
However, as we prepare to say another heartbreaking goodbye to more characters in 2023, let's take a look at who is returning and the newcomers set to call Weatherfield their home...
Who is leaving Coronation Street in 2023?
Some much-loved residents have left the soap so far, including Jacob Hay (Jack James Ryan), but will we be saying goodbye to more much-loved characters this year?
Here is our roundup of each Coronation Street resident bidding farewell to the Cobbles...
Christina Boyd
Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) is Daisy Midgeley's (Charlotte Jordan) estranged mother who arrived on the cobbles in January.
After minimal contact with her daughter for years, Christina showed up in Weatherfield to build bridges with Daisy, who was raised by her stepmother Jenny (Sally Ann Matthews), after learning that she was getting married.
Christina later left Weatherfield in March after returning for Daisy's hen do. Christina promised her daughter a big surprise for the party, but Daisy was left stunned when she brought along two of her old school bullies.
Christina allowed the bullies to insult Daisy all night, to which the mother and daughter had an explosive row and Christina insulted Daisy before she left.
Actress Amy Robbins confirmed that she had finished filming for the soap on Instagram.
Posing with her co-stars Rob Mallard and Charlotte Jordan behind the Rovers Return bar she captioned the image: "And so .. Christina bids a fond farewell to her beloved long suffering Daisy and her darling soon to be soon in law Daniel . @charliejordanxo @rob.mallard @sallyannmathews I shall miss you ❤️Thankyou ALL at @coronationstreet for making me so welcome. As dream jobs go... this one was hard to beat"
Fiz Dobbs
Underworld machinist Fiz Dobbs temporarily left the soap as actress Jennie McAlpine gave birth to her third child with husband Chris Farr.
She announced that she was six months pregnant back in January and the couple are already proud parents to Hilda and Albert.
On May, 12 Fiz left the cobbles for a new job opportunity after she was offered a supervisor role in Norwich.
Although this meant she had to leave her family for a while, Fiz headed off with the promise of a higher salary and new responsibilities.
Coronation Street executive producer Iain McLeod reassured fans that Fiz would not split up from her husband Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) when she temporarily leaves the soap following their Christmas Day wedding.
Talking on Loose Women on Wednesday, February, 15 he said: "Fiz will be leaving to cover Jennie's maternity leave but it will not be acrimonious, they'll part as friends, they'll kind of do the long-distance thing.
"Actually, we've pre-recorded some little bits with Jennie that we're going to play in as video calls so while she's away we can still see her talking to Tyrone. We're trying to use all the tricks we can to cover it."
Jacob Hay
Jacob Hay (Jack James Ryan) made his unexpected exit from Weatherfield in January after he was forced to leave by his drug dealer dad, Damon (Ciaran Griffiths).
The teen got into drugs trouble and angered his father by disposing of a large package of cocaine that was concealed in a Bistro delivery.
Damon said to him that he’d told his accomplices that Jacob had stolen the drugs and threatened to hurt his girlfriend Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) if Jacob didn’t leave the Cobbles immediately.
Desperate to protect his girlfriend, Jacob faked a phone conversation to make Amy think he was dealing again. He then left in a cab, as a heartbroken Amy wrongly believed that he’d gone back to his bad ways.
Paul Foreman
Coronation Street confirmed that much-loved Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will be leaving the soap later this year after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Back in February, Paul started to have difficulty gripping things with his right hand. He assumed he had sustained an injury after being involved in a road accident caused by Carla Barlow (Alison King).
However, after a series of scans at the hospital, he received the devastating news that he has Motor Neurone Disease.
Motor Neurone Disease is an uncommon condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, however, it can affect adults of all ages. It is caused when cells in the brain and nerves gradually stop working. This results in weakness and wasting of the muscles.
The soap is working closely with the MND Association on this storyline which will explore the challenges faced by Paul and those around him in the coming months.
Peter Ash said: “Paul is completely blindsided by the diagnosis and he decides to keep it from his family and friends as he tries to come to terms with the news. I knew very little about MND before embarking on the storyline and I am hugely grateful to the MND Association for all their help and support. For any actor playing a role which examines a real life issue or condition there comes a huge sense of responsibility and we are aware that some people watching this storyline are experiencing it in reality, it is their life.
“Awareness and education are really important. I have learned so much even in the short time I have been involved in this storyline. We hope Paul’s journey can make people more aware of the symptoms and what it is like for someone to live with MND.”
Faye Windass
Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, who plays Faye Windass, left the soap after 12 years.
Ellie, who appeared on the soap since she was ten years old, departed Weatherfield for a new life in Slough with her ex boyfriend Jackson Hodge and their daughter, Miley.
Her recent storyline saw her reconnect with Miley, who went to live in Canada with her father Jackson after Faye wasn't ready to become a parent.
When Jackson and Miley invited Faye to a final family outing, a heartbroken Faye was consumed with guilt as she wanted to be with Jackson, but felt that she couldn't leave her boyfriend Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) because he knew something that could send her back in prison.
Craig was covering up for Faye and Emma Brooker's hit and run in 2022, which killed elderly man Ted Spear.
But sensing how upset she was about Jackson and Miley leaving, Craig suggested that she should go with them to Slough if she wanted to.
Faye appreciated his offer and left with Jackson and Miley as a heartbroken Craig watched on.
Karen Rutherford
Lynn Kennedy, who played Karen Rutherford on the soap, has confirmed her exit from Coronation Street and has already filmed her final scenes.
On her Instagram Stories, the actress posted a mirror selfie wearing a long red ITV coat in her dressing room and captioned the image: "And just like that, Karen’s off. Bye @coronationstreet it’s been amazing!!”
Her character, Karen was the estranged older sister of Daisy Midgeley's (Charlotte Jordan) stalker Justin Rutherford (Andrew Still), who was sent to prison for the horrific acid attack he committed on Daisy's wedding day.
She first appeared in March to warn Daisy about her brother's obsessive and violent behaviour. She later returned in May with a sadistic plan to secretly find ways to get Justin out of trouble.
After finding out some information about Daisy's manipulative past, she used this to her advantage and handed it over to Justin's defence lawyer in an attempt to make him look innocent.
Aaron Sandford
Aaron Sandford (James Craven) left the cobbles after dropping the libel case against Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) after she revealed in an online blog post that he sexually assaulted her a few months ago.
During his final episode, Amy was worried about the financial implications of fighting the case as her mum Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) was selling her florist shop to cover the legal fees.
Amy decided to write a public retraction, despite always telling the truth about what Aaron did to her. But as he tried to point out the inconsistencies in her story to try and make himself look innocent, an ashamed Aaron revealed that he was dropping the libel case.
Aaron ran out of Amy's house in shame to his dad's car, who was waiting outside. Before he got in, he no longer denied that he attacked her and apologised to Amy. Aaron and his dad then drove off, leaving Weatherfield for good and not receiving any punishment for his crime.
Who is returning to Coronation Street in 2023?
Currently, there has been no news on who will be returning to the soap, but we'll update this page when we know which familiar faces will be getting up to their usual antics once again.
Who is arriving in Coronation Street in 2023?
In exciting news, we'll also be welcoming some new faces on the Cobbles — but how will they get on amongst the drama of Weatherfield?
Owen
Former Hollyoaks star Ben Hull will be joining the cast of Coronation Street as Owen, who is a potential love interest for Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews).
"Smooth-talking Owen will set the cat among the pigeons as the rep for an American company interested in Sarah and Michael's new business," an insider told Inside Soap. "But it's not just loungewear that Owen sets his sights on, once Jenny catches his eye..."
The source continued: "What's more, Stephen has invested in Michael and Sarah's business, and won't take kindly to someone muscling in on his turf. Is Owen set to give Stephen a run for his money?"
Estelle
Award-winning actress and West End star Ruthie Henshall is joining the cast of Coronation Street for a guest role.
She will arrive on the cobbles on April 3rd playing Estelle, an old friend of Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger).
We first meet Estelle having a run in with George (Tony Maudsley) about the cost of her mother's funeral, but when she bumps into Glenda the argument is instantly forgotten as the friends reminisce over their time on the cruise ships together.
It’s not long before Estelle is trying to talk Glenda into buying into her theatre school franchise Little Big Shotz, but how will Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) react when George offers to financially back his sister?
Ruthie said of getting the role: “This is one of the most enjoyable guest roles of my career. Everyone is so welcoming and I can’t believe after years of the street being in my life that I finally get to tread the cobbles. Getting to act with Jodie was a joy and every member of the cast was welcoming and kind.
"Estelle is delighted to find her old friend Glenda and share a show tune or two to remember times spent entertaining on board cruises. I am so excited and delighted to be on the street where so many brilliant actors strut, and have strutted, their stuff.”
Cassie
Brookside legend Claire Sweeney is joining Coronation Street as the biological mother of Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and the long-lost daughter of Evelyn Plummer (Dame Maureen Lipman).
Back in 2018, Tyrone went in search of his biological family after discovering that Jackie Dobbs, who had raised Tyrone from a baby, wasn't actually his birth mother.
Tyrone's search for the truth led him to Evelyn after working out that her daughter Cassandra was his biological mother.
Evelyn admitted that she had abandoned Tyrone at a police station in 1982 after not trusting Cassandra to look after him properly due to her drug habit. He was then found by Jackie who brought him up as her own.
However, Tyrone is set to be stunned when his mother arrives in June, after believing that she was dead all these years, due to Evelyn lying that Cassie had died.
Coronation Street revealed: "Evelyn is faced with a real dilemma as she has to decide whether to come clean to Tyrone about her lies.
"Now Tyrone faces more heartache as secrets and lies from his past threaten to destroy his relationship with his grandma and he has to navigate a new relationship with his mother."
Courtney Vance
Coronation Street has cast Hollyoaks icon Stephanie Davis for a steamy affair storyline that's set to rock the cobbles this summer.
Stephanie, who is best known for playing Sinead O'Connor in Hollyoaks for nine years, will join the Coronation Street cast as the glamorous Courtney Vance, who is the wife of Darren, one of Dev Alahan's (Jimmi Harkishin) business associates.
Whilst Dev and Darren Vance spend time talking business, Courtney has her eyes on a toyboy lover — Dev's son Aadi Alahan (Adam Hussain).
It's not long before Aadi becomes embroiled in a deceitful affair as cunning Courtney arranges secret meet-ups for the pair behind Dev and Darren's backs.
Stephanie said of getting the role: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the cast of Coronation Street, playing the part of Courtney Vance. Growing up I have always watched and loved the show, so to be part of the biggest TV soap in Britain, which is in the hearts and homes of so many people, is an honour.”
Stephanie will appear on screen in July.
Darren Vance
Courtney's husband Darren Vance will be played by Ryan Early, known for his role as Lee Bryce in the BBC radio drama The Archers and PC Tom Nicholson in Heartbeat.
Darren will be on the receiving end of his wife's affair with younger lover Aadi.
Ryan added: “I am so thrilled to be playing Darren Vance on Coronation Street and joining the most iconic soap. I grew up watching the show with my grandmother so to walk on the cobbles is such an honour.”
Ryan will also appear on the cobbles in July alongside his on-screen wife Stephanie.
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITVX.
