Alex Bain, who has been a part of the ITV soap opera since he was seven years old, is about to leave the cobbles.
The long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street stars Alex Bain as Simon Barlow. Bain is about to leave the show, but not before a well-known character who left the show months ago will play a part in his farewell. December of last year saw reports that 22-year-old Alex, who made his screen debut at seven years old, was going to leave the soap opera.
On Monday, May 20, viewers witnessed the start of his exit storyline, in which a drunken Simon had a conversation with cult leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper), who recommended that he go to the Altovalent Institute retreat with his stepmother Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson). Upon Simon’s admission that he couldn’t afford it, Rowan offered to pay for him.
It seemed that the troubled teen would not be seen again after he announced he was moving to be with Leanne. His aunt Toyah Habib (Georgia Taylor) and stepdad Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) were appalled that he would even entertain the idea.
Nick acts desperately when he considers Simon joining the cult and gets in touch with a deceased person. He asks Peter, Simon’s father (Chris Gascoyne), to try and reason with him.
Simon is shocked when his father, who has drifted away, contacts him and offers him a job on a yacht. This gives him great comfort, and he decides to set sail with Peter in place of thinking about the retreat.
Similar to Simon’s departure from the show, Alex’s real-life exit seems turbulent. The actor reportedly wants his bosses to bring his character back, according to reports from last month.
According to a source who spoke to The Sun, “Alex has been putting on a brave face saying he quit the show but in reality bosses decided it was time for him to move on.”
Alex finds it extremely emotional, and he is genuinely reluctant to leave. Bosses have been begging him to be considered in the future. He is itching to return.
Before filming his last scenes, Alex posted a picture from his dressing room earlier this month.
He uploaded the picture to his Instagram story with the caption, “It’s hard to believe this is almost over! I will really, really miss this place!”
After filming his last scenes, Alex recently celebrated his departure with a few of his co-stars.
In honor of Alex’s tenure on the show, he was pictured with Elle Mulvaney, Harriet Bibby, and Jack James Ryan.
“15 years is no joke,” wrote Jack, who portrayed Jacob Hay in the soap opera. A brother of mine and an icon to many. Alex, you are loved by us.
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