Shelley King quits Coronation Street

Shelley King has become the latest star to quit ITV’s Coronation Street.

The Sun notes that the actress has already filmed her final scenes as Yasmeen Nazir, which will air in March.

An insider told the paper:

“Shelley spoke to producers early last year and advised that after 10 years on the show and being involved in many major storylines during the past decade she had decided the time has come for her to explore other opportunities.”

Yasmeen first appeared on the cobbles in 2014, arriving with her first husband Sharif, their son Kal, and their two grandchildren. Tragedy struck when Kal lost his life in a fire, and after discovering Sharif’s affair with her friend, she decided to end their marriage.

In 2019, she married the controlling Geoff Metcalfe, which led to a shocking moment when she stabbed him in the neck due to his relentless abuse. Although he survived, Yasmeen faced charges of attempted murder but was ultimately acquitted.

Yasmeen eventually found love again with Stu Carpenter, but the pair recently went their separate ways after a disagreement.

Shelley joins a growing list of actors who have recently exited or are set to leave the ITV soap.

Last week, Colson Smith shared news on social media his character of Craig Tinker has been axed, while the soap aired Luca Toolan’s final scenes as the reformed school bully Mason Radcliffe, who tragically lost his life to a knife attack from his abusive brothers.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Sue Cleaver had stepped down from her role as Eileen Grimshaw after 25 years, while Christmas marked the end of Helen Worth’s time as Gail Platt after an impressive 50 years.

It is believed that Coronation Street is facing financial challenges, leading to the decision to let go of several cast members to help manage costs. Lisa George departed as Beth Tinker over the summer, and Sue Devaney is expected to leave her role as Debbie Webster at the conclusion of a dementia storyline.