Confused about all the cast changes on the [Coronation Street ](Confused about all the cast changes on the Coronation Street cobbles?)cobbles recently?
It's the nature of soaps to chop and change their cast more than we change our outfits before a Saturday night out with the gang, and what kind of soap fans would we be if we didn't keep you up to date on who exactly has been leaving, returning and arriving on the Street?
It has recently been announced that fan fave Spider Nugent will be returning to the show 25 years after he first walked into Weatherfield. Martin Hancock will once again take on the role and we are beyond excited to see what Emily’s eco warrior nephew has been up to in the last 19 years.
Spider joined the show in 1997 and left in 2003, meaning he has been away for a LONG time. The last time we saw him on the show he was leaving Manchester to start a new life with his then girlfriend Toyah Battersby. Things didn't work out between the two with Spider moving to Peru and Toyah returning to the show in 2016.
Can their love be rekindled? We'll have to wait until July to see, when Spider FINALLY makes his return to the small screen.
Speaking about his return to the show, Martin said, "Having the opportunity to walk back onto the cobbles is fabulous, I’m so excited to be seeing a lot of old friends and picking up what Spider has been up to.
"I’ve always wanted to come back at some point and it just felt like this is the right time. I’m eternally grateful to Iain for the opportunity."
Who's leaving Corrie?
Who is leaving Coronation Street?
1 of 8Kel Allen
After two years on the show, Kel Allen who played Laura Neelan will be leaving. After battling with a terminal illness, Lauren is set to have an 'emotional' ending, leaving behind her daughter. Soap star Kel has admitted that she's particularly upset about leaving, saying, "Oh my god, it's emotional. I get emotional and start filling up just thinking about it. "What a way to go. When they asked me to come back for this final storyline I couldn't believe it, it was too good to turn down. As an actor to get your teeth stuck into something so heartbreaking, dramatic and even with humour thrown in is just incredible."
2 of 8Rebecca Ryan
Rebecca Ryan, who plays Lydia Chambers, is leaving the show after only joining four months earlier in December 2021. Lydia spelt trouble for Adam Barlow, really throwing a spanner in the works when it came to his marriage and ultimately attempting to murder him. Her exit follows this murder attempt.Lydia has been an unpopular character with some viewers. Rebecca reflected on this and told OK! Magazine, "I get a lot of hate for the character with people saying how much they dislike her and that she's awful and ruining Sarah's life."She did go on to say she didn't take this too personally saying, "It's part of all the fun. It's great that people are so invested in the storyline and getting so into it, and I've had lovely messages from people saying they're enjoying it."
3 of 8Charlie De Melo
Charlie De Melo, who plays Imran Habeeb, is apparently leaving the show after five years. According to The Sun, a source close to the soap actor said that while Charlie had "loved his time on the soap" he believes that now "the time is right to try new things."They told the publication, "He's hugely talented and very ambitious and wants to see what else is out there."He will always cherish his time in Weatherfield but for now it's goodbye."
4 of 8Alexandra Mardell
Alexandra Mardell is set to bow out of her role as barmaid Emma Brooker later this year and will be exiting the cobbles after four years. It's been reported that she will film her last scenes next month.
5 of 8Roy Cropper
We never thought we'd see the day, but in late 2021 long term resident Roy - aka David Neilson – left the street for pastures new after struggling to come to terms with the part he'd played in Natasha Blakeman's death. We're sure he'll be back, though.
6 of 8Hashim Elamin
Hashim's time in Weatherfield may have been brief, but with all the trouble he caused Speed Dahl and the Nazir family, we say 'good riddance'.
7 of 8Corey Brent
After a three year reign of terror over Weatherfield culminating in the murder of Seb Franklin last year, justice was FINALLY served when Corey was arrested and sentenced for his crimes in late 2021.
8 of 8Grace Vickers
Grace, played by actor Kate Spencer, left Coronation Street and her baby Glory behind in December 2021 after the Bailey family paid her off with ÂŁ20k, to give Micheal Bailey a chance at giving their daughter a better life.
Who's arriving on Corrie?
Who's returning to Corrie?
1 of 5Jacob Hay
Jacob played a pivotal role in the Simon Barlow and Leanne Battersby drugs storyline last year as gangster Harvey Gaskell's right hand man, and actor Jack James Ryan is now reportedly in line for a relationship with Amy Barlow.
2 of 5Sophie Webster
Sophie was last seen on the Cobbles in 2019 when she took some time off travelling to accommodate actor Brooke Vincent's maternity leave, but we can expect her back on the street this year.
3 of 5Zeedan Nazir
Yasmeen Nazir's grandson Zeedan returned to Weatherfield last year and quickly found himself at the centre of the drama when Speed Dahl came under fire (literally).
4 of 5Sharon Bentley
Veteran Corrie fans will remember Sharon from way back in the 80s when she was fostered by Rita Sullivan. In 2021 she made her explosive return when it was revealed she was the sister of drugs lord Harvey. She's been causing trouble ever since.
5 of 5Nicky Wheatley
In December 2021, actor Kimberly Hart-Simpson confirmed her character - sex worker Nicky, who was involved with Dan Osbourne after his wife Sinead Tinker's death - would be returning to the street.
Who's returning to Corrie?
Who is arriving in Coronation Street?
1 of 4Mimi Whittaker
Gregarious character Mimi was introduced as the mother of Fiz Brown's new love interest, Phill, in late 2021. She's already being compared to Hyacinth Bucket.
2 of 4Stu Carpenter
Stu has found a home (literally) on the Street after he was lifted up off the streets by Yasmeen Nazir when she employed him as a chef at Speed Dahl in late 2021. He was also responsible for Corey Brent's arrest and aquitting Kelly Neelan.
3 of 4Marrium Nazir
With the return of Zeedan Nazir to the street and his dodgy dealings with his scary ex father-in-law Hashim Elamin, it was only right his estranged wife Marrium was also introduced for 2022.
4 of 4Spider Nugent
It has recently been announced that Martin Hancock will be reprising his role as eco warrior Spider Nugent 25 years after he first joined the show. He hasn't been seen since leaving the show in 2003, so we are dead excited to see what he's been up to.
When is Coronation Street on TV?
From 7 March 2022 Corrie has been running in a new hour long format. The soap airs 8-9pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
One major character we're keeping everything crossed will make a return this year is Sophie Webster, who was last seen heading off on a round-the-world trip with Katie Connor in 2019.
Corrie star Brooke Vincent, meanwhile, was having an adventure of her own as she became a mum to her first son, Mexx Vincent, with Sophie's departure written into the script to accommodate Brook's own maternity leave.
While we all know that the only way a character is gone for good in soapland is if we see the corpse with our own eyeballs and Sophie's return is very much plausible, last summer Brooke was coy about giving a definitive answer about coming back to Corrie, telling the Daily Star, "I’m just being a mum and getting myself back and trying to get us into a routine and focusing on them.
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"It’s kind of a decision that we made as a family and it’s just nice to have that special time with them without having major distractions of what’s been going on."
As recently as January 2022, though, Brooke's co-star and on screen mum Sally Dyenvor, who plays Sally Webster told The Sun, "I get messages all the time from Brooke and Helen [Flanagan, who played Rosie Webster].
"It’s so lovely watching them with their children. I just adore them both and I’m super-proud of them because they’re wonderful mums. I would love it if they could come back to Corrie.
"But I think both Helen and Brooke would like to come back for one or two episodes rather than sign up for a long time, because of their children. But it would be perfect."