TV's longest running soap opera appears in turmoil, with British tabloids headlining stories about the crisis: "Dead End Street" and "Coronation Street bloodbath".
The Sun reported Simon Gregson, who plays long-time character Steve McDonald, has left the show for three months because of illness after portraying his character's descent into depression.
And producer Stuart Blackburn was axed from the popular soap, paying the price for a series of bizarre plots and storylines that sent ratings plummeting.
During his reign, the show suffered its worst viewing figures and producer ITV had to apologise when the death of mechanic Kevin Webster's son was forgotten in a storyline. Actor Michael Le Vell, who plays Webster, pointed out the script error but was ignored, it is claimed.
Since 2013, stalwarts including Julie Hesmondhalgh (Hayley Cropper), Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) and Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) have quit. Alison King (Carla Connor) also threatened to leave but instead took a sabbatical.