Why has Jacob Hay left Coronation Street? Actor Jack James Ryan explains exit

Jacob did everything to try and turn his life around previously. He was in a bad way and confessed what had been going on to Nick (Ben Price), promising to leave for good.

After breaking Amy's heart and well and truly losing everything, Jacob departed in a taxi.

But why has Jacob gone? And why has James Jack Ryan left Coronation Street? Read on for everything you need to know about the shock Corrie exit.

Why has Jacob Hay left Coronation Street?

Jacob was forced to leave Coronation Street after being put in a tricky corner by his evil dad, Damon.

The loveable character ran into drugs trouble and to avoid being caught with the powder, flushed it down the toilet - a terrible move.

When Damon insisted Jacob had put Amy (Elle Mulvaney) and the rest of his girlfriend's family in trouble, Jacob had no other option - he had to go.

The means behind his exit were devastating. He decided to tell Nick the truth, and opened up about what has been going on in the Bistro behind his back.

Nick encouraged Jacob to tell Amy the truth, but the youngster admitted he couldn't do that to her and made his plans to turn Amy off him for good.

At their flat, Jacob staged a call with a drug dealer – which Amy walked in on and was horrified to hear.

An argument broke out between the pair as a devastated Amy had to listen to Jacob's lies.

With their relationship well and truly over, Jacob had time for one more confrontation with his dad.

Jacob begged his dad to let him work for him, trying to keep any connection with his dad, but Damon remained calm and told him to get out of his sight or he would kill him.

With nothing left, Jacob took the hint and called a cab to take him far away from Weatherfield.

Why has Jack James Ryan left Coronation Street?

"It was a really hard decision because I love the character so much," Ryan explained to press including RadioTimes.com.

"But I was coming up to that two-year mark on the show, and the conversations upstairs were about moving into this place, and looking at the long haul of what this character was going to do on the Street - which of course was incredibly humbling."

He added: "Those conversations were amazing, but I'm still young, and there's so much stuff that I want to go and do.

"I also felt like I had come and done what I intended to do. We talk about the Corrie bingo cards, like where you tick off things you've done... I've come in, I've played the villain, I've had my redemption arc, I got to punch Steve McDonald, I went to prison, I even moved into 1 Coronation Street with Ken Barlow! You can't get much better than that.

"It just felt right, it felt like the right time to leave the show."

In good news for fans, Ryan wouldn't be against returning to Coronation Street - but only when the time was right.

"This fantastic writer on the show, David, he said to me, 'The best time to bring a character back is when it's going to cause the most damage theatrically'. It would be cool for him to get the opportunity to clear his name because I think he does deserve it."

Read more:

• Coronation Street boss teases double villain return
• Todd Boyce: Coronation Street stars ‘nervy’ they’re Stephen’s next victim

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