Coronation Street stars ‘to be offered shorter contracts amid falling viewing figures and tight budgets’ – after boss warned multiple characters will be axed

Coronation Street stars will reportedly be offered shorter contracts amid falling ratings and financial problems.

The ITV soap attracted just 2.6 million viewers for the Christmas Day special, which saw Gail Platt (Helen Worth) depart after 50 years on the show.

Now The sun claims producers can now only guarantee contracts until the end of 2025 amid tighter budgets.

A source told the publication: ‘The Corrie cast is huge and some don’t get enough episodes.

“A pay-by-episode couple are struggling to pay their mortgage and must supplement their income with personal appearances and Instagram ads.

‘Many cast members now have ‘guest contracts’, such as Maureen Lipman and Kate Ford. These are short-lived, so they can come and go and take longer breaks. The cast has been told they cannot guarantee contracts beyond the end of 2025.”

ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

It comes after the soap’s new boss warned several characters were facing the ax as she opened up about several “unexpected exits” in 2025.

ITV soap’s new producer Kate Brooks, who previously took over at Emmerdale, recently opened up about her plans for Weatherfield and its residents in the coming New Year.

And while there are plenty of thrilling storylines and drama to come, there are several cast members who won’t get to see it as their characters are set to leave the show in a move that is expected to send ‘shockwaves’ throughout the show .

Speak with The sun and other press, Kate explained about the upcoming plans: ‘There are a few exits this year, and some unexpected ones that will send shockwaves.

“People may not expect the exits, but there are some.”

However, amid the shock departure, Coronation Street will welcome some familiar faces and some new additions.

The most notable of the comebacks is Rob Donovan, Carla Connor’s brother who is in prison for the murder of Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan).

Actor Marc Baylis, who plays the villain, has reportedly already returned to the film, with his character set to have a huge impact on Carla, his son Bobby and Carla’s new romance with police officer Lisa Swain.

Speaking about his big return, Kate said: ‘We left Rob languishing in prison for the last time. He made mistakes. He comes back to the show and we think he’s a reformed character who has seen the error of his ways, but whether that’s the case or not, I don’t know!

‘He will definitely come back and cause a lot of problems for Carla and Lisa. Just when Carla and Lisa think it’s safe to sit down and watch Netflix, Rob Donovan comes along and puts an end to it all.”

Kate added that Rob’s return will be a “big story” for the family, which will have plenty of “twists” to really entertain soap fans.

In addition to Rob, Carl Webster, Kevin and Debbie’s long-lost brother who has never been seen on screen, will make an unexpected arrival into his siblings’ lives.

She shared that there are ‘big stories’ on the horizon for Kevin and Debbie who will ‘build’ the Webster clan, with Kate claiming she believes the soap’s three big clans are the ‘Websters, Barlows and Platts’.

MailOnline has contacted Coronation Street representatives for comment.

Meanwhile, Kate – who took charge of the soap earlier this year – also opened up about her overall vision for the year ahead, detailing how she plans for more issue-based storylines.

She said: ‘I think it’s important that we tell raw, issue-driven stories – and there are plenty of them coming – but it’s about packaging them in the right way and keeping them fresh and different, without losing the DNA of the world to lose. Corrie.

‘What makes Corrie so great is its recognisability. It’s the humor, it’s the characters. All of these stories are packaged with that in mind. That will be the core of everyone,” she shared Digital spy.

The producer went on to say that there is an abundance of ‘bold, innovative stories’ and ‘compelling drama’ in the soap, at the heart of which is ‘a truth’.

She further confirmed that the show’s main families – including the Websters, Platts and Connors – will be firmly at the center of the big ‘really exciting’ storylines that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

She continued: “My vision is to make sure we keep people engaged, people entertained and people guessing. We don’t want them to become complacent, we sometimes want to pull the rug out from under them. We want them to sit at home with a cup of tea and a biscuit and something happens that they didn’t expect. So expect the unexpected in 2025.’

The huge new plans follow the emotional exit of show legend Gail Platt during the soap opera is dramatic Christmas special.

The show saw legendary actress Helen Worth officially say goodbye to the cobbles of Weatherfield after 50 years playing Gail.

But after fans feared she would be killed off, Gail instead had a happy exit, starting ‘day one of her new life’ with husband Jesse Chadwick (John Thompson) abroad.

While the hour didn’t see her death, the Christmas Day storyline saw an engagement, a pregnancy, an arrest, multiple arguments, and a lot of tears.

While the episode set the stage for an emotional Christmas episode, Gail was given a sinister serenade by the ghost of her old murderous partner, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).

Gail was chased by the infamous villain, which culminated in a row about her past, and was left sad on Christmas morning when she woke up screaming that she was ‘not that woman anymore’.

Claiming she had had an epiphany, Gail ran to her partner Jesse and confessed that she needed a groom and the wedding went ahead.

He romantically asked her if she was available at 2pm as they confirmed their big day was back.

Gail’s mother, Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), tried to take a last-minute olive branch and knocked on Gail’s door, at which point Tina dampened her party mood and said she wasn’t welcome.

Despite this, she still turned up at the venue before the big party to ‘wish her the best of luck’, to which Gail expressed her dismay at not supporting her decision to go abroad and start a new life.

With their relationship held on a string, Audrey was given a second chance to stand the test of time for their family bond.

But more drama soon arose when Nick’s (Ben Price) estranged wife, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), brought the police to the wedding accusing him and his partner Toyah (Georgia Taylor), who is also her sister of fraud.