Coronation Street exit confirmed for new character just months after debut on ITV soap
Farrel Hegarty's Lou will be departing alongside her on-screen husband Mick, played by Joe Layton.
It has been confirmed that Coronation Street star Farrel Hegarty, who joined the soap as Lou Michaelis earlier this year, will be leaving the cobbles in an exit storyline set to play out this summer.
Hegarty's departure is expected to take place at the same time as co-star Joe Layton – aka Lou's husband Mick – also leaves the soap.
Layton's departure was confirmed in March, and ITV has noted that the duo were always intended to be on the show for a specific timeframe.
A Coronation Street spokesperson confirmed the news, telling RadioTimes.com: "This is not a shock exit or an early exit. Mick and Lou were brought into the show to cause chaos on the cobbles in the build-up to a major storyline in the summer and they are already making their presence felt.
"Joe and Farrell were contracted for a specific length of time, some characters come in for a long time and some like Mick and Lou are brought to pass through and leave a trail of destruction behind them. Both actors are still filming with the show and will be on screen until the summer."
When the duo joined the soap, their characters were introduced as nightmare neighbours for Chesney and Gemma, in a storyline which expanded the soap's setting beyond the ginnel for the first time in its history.
Lou has been seen striking up a friendship with Gemma, but it was quickly revealed after Mick arrived on screen that he was the man in the van who had been tormenting Chesney.
While Layton and Hegarty have only had a short run on the soap, their departures come as a number of longer-running stars are also departing the cobbles.
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Sue Cleaver, Colson Smith, Charlotte Jordan and Sue Devaney will all have exit storylines for their characters in the coming weeks and months.
However, there will also be some new stars joining the soap, and some memorable characters making their returns.
Ryan Thomas has confirmed he will be returning as Jason Grimshaw, while it has been reported that Catherine Tyldesley will be reprising her role as Eva Price.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
