James Bailey to leave Coronation Street as star Nathan Graham quits
His final scenes are set to air in October.
Coronation Street star Nathan Graham has left his role as James Bailey in the ITV soap after three years.
RadioTimes.com understands that the character’s exit will air in early October and likely coincide with his current storyline, which recently saw him collapse from a heart attack in the middle of a football game between the Rovers and Flying Horse teams.
James was later fitted with an ICD to protect him from further cardiac arrests, before being told by doctors that he may never be able to play football at a competitive level again.
News of Graham’s exit was first revealed via The Sun, with a source saying that his exit will see him leave Weatherfield for a new start elsewhere, but that the door will be left open for a return.
ITV declined to comment when approached by RadioTimes.com.
The actor first appeared on the show in 2019 and was at the centre of dramatic coming out storyline that saw him faced with homophobic abuse from a teammate and a fan, as well as prejudice from his father Ed (Trevor Michael Georges), who struggled to accept his son’s sexuality.
In 2021, James was put through the wringer once again as he and his brother Michael were victims of racial profiling in a storyline that saw the pair pulled over by police while test-driving a sports car.
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In Corrie arrival news, Channique Sterling-Brown was recently cast as James's sister Dee-Dee.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other media, Sterling-Brown revealed that the lawyer will play a crucial role in trying to help Stu Carpenter (Bill Fellows), who was sent to prison for the murder of a woman called Charlie, as she teams up with the Nazirs to help prove his innocence.
"[Dee Dee] has made a friend in Alya (Sair Khan), which has been really great. They're delving into Stu's case, looking to see if they can get him exonerated," she explained.
She added: "I think that's going to be really exciting for viewers, because obviously it's such a big storyline, and it's very gripping. Two young women on their detective case - I think it's really brilliant, and it's exciting to see where that'll go."
Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
