Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy Mayhew in the ITV soap, is reportedly leaving the cobbles next year after playing the role for over a decade
Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank is leaving the soap after 11 years.
The actor has played vicar Billy Mayhew in the ITV soap for over a decade since his debut in 2014. Last year, Billy was part of a heartbreaking storyline as the character lost his husband Paul Foreman to motor neurone disease.
It’s said Daniel is leaving the cobbles next year in a “sensational issues-based storyline” and that his exit was a “story-based decision” made by Corrie bosses. The actor has admitted he’s “sad” to be leaving but says he’s loved “every minute” of his time in Weatherfield.
Announcing his exit, he told The Sun: “I have been working on Corrie for a quarter of my life. I have adored every minute I have been in that building and have never not looked forward to going into work.
“I love everyone who works on this show and whilst I am sad to be going, I am equally excited to see what the future holds.”
Daniel is the latest in a string of Corrie exits in recent months. Just some of the stars who have left or are leaving the soap include Craig Tinker star Colson Smith, Eileen Grimshaw star Sue Cleaver and Daisy Midgeley star Charlotte Jordan.
Colson Smith’s cobbles policeman Craig was killed off this week after being brutally murdered. The actor, who appeared in last year’s series of Celebrity Big Brother, has opened up about his exit and admitted he wanted his character to die so that he could get closure and accept his soap exit.
He said: “Like for me to go, I would want to leave. I would want to die, I would want the door to be shut, so then I can kind of know in my head that Corrie has been this, Corrie has done that, and it is now done, and Craig’s journey is over.”
Daniel first appeared in Corrie as Sean Tully’s love interest. However, his character began to take on darker storylines – in 2017 he was devastated after finding out he’d been responsible for Ken Barlow’s daughter Susan’s death.
He found out that his then-boyfriend Todd had lied about there being nothing to worry about in the car accident involving Susan. He had unknowingly caused her to die in a car accident while he was fleeing a robbery in a getaway car.
Billy descended into heroin addiction and shocking scenes saw him consume the drug while at church. Daniel admitted that even his mother couldn’t watch the scenes and was “horrified” by them.