Coronation Street star signs new contract to keep him on the cobbles for another year – after almost QUITTING soap
CORONATION Street fans have something to celebrate with one of the show’s main stars signing on for another year.
Sam Robertson, who plays Adam Barlow on the ITV soap, has agreed to an extension of his contract after fears he may be the latest star to exit.
A source told The Sun: “Everyone was so happy Sam agreed to stay another year – they’ve got some good storylines in the pipeline for his character so it’s going to be an exciting year.”
Sam has been playing Adam Barlow since 2004, taking over the role from Iain De Caestecker who played him from 2001 to 2003.
The actor played the role for three years before leaving, but returned in 2016 and has remained on Corrie ever since.
During that time, the character has been caught-up in a number of hard-hitting storylines including a whodunnit and a murder plot.
Returning from Canada in 2016 to look after his grandfather Ken Barlow (William Roache) following his stroke, Adam has become a prominent solicitor for the locals of Weatherfield.
Just a year later, he became one of the central suspects to attempted murder after Ken was pushed down the stairs.
In 2020, he married Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien), but in 2023 this broke down when she had an affair with bad boy Damon Hay (Ciaran Griffiths).
Sarah fell pregnant as a result of the affair, and Adam was left heartbroken and seeking revenge.
His anger nearly got him killed, with Damon kidnapping Adam and even holding a gun to his head.
He’s since been trying to move on, being seen growing a romantic attachment with newcomer Rebecca.
Corrie changes
Sam’s continuation on the show comes amid a sea of changes of the flagship ITV soap.
A number of high profile faces have announced they will be leaving, most notably Helen Worth, who has played Gail Platt on the show for the past 50 years.
Bosses have crafted an emotional exit for the character and are staying tight-lipped on what it is.
Gail is the mother of Sarah Platt, Adam’s estranged wife.
Coronation Street's 2024 shock exits
Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap:
Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.
The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.
Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.
After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.
Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.
Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.
Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.
Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.
The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.
Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.
Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.
It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.
Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.
Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.
Aliya Nazir (Sair Khan) is another character close to Adam who has chosen a new life away from Weatherfield.
At the time of her exit, Alya came to blows with her former boss Adam Barlow after she quit working for Barlow’s Legal Services.
The pair had a short-lived romantic entanglement, but she decided to leave for a new life in Ireland after being offered a job there.
However, other stars have also been confirmed to stay – including Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy Mayhew.
It was announced yesterday Daniel has also had his contract extended by a year, and will see Billy grieving the loss of his partner Paul Foreman.
The character, played by Peter Ash, will die following a devastating battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in upcoming scenes.