Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) will leave Coronation Street next week after 15 years.
Last December, Simon’s dad Peter (Chris Gascoyne) left Weatherfield to start a new life abroad working on a yacht.
The departure left Simon devastated and in a dark place. Struggling to find a focus, Simon found a distraction by drinking and partying with his friends.
He then got a wake up call over his reliance on alcohol when he crashed a car while under the influence, and put Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) in hospital.
After a difficult start to the year, Simon finally sees the light at the end of a dark tunnel next week.
Leanne (Jane Danson) returns from the treat Rowan (Emryhs Cooper) organised and explains that her workshop overran so she just stayed another night.
When Simon then reveals he’s leaving to join Peter on his yacht, Leanne is furious that nobody bothered to consult her about it. Nick (Ben Price) assures her that he left a message with Rowan, which he obviously failed to pass on.
Later, after saying goodbye to her son, Leanne chats to someone on her laptop, telling them how Simon’s gone, she’s all alone and and she wishes she could be with them.
This concerning development continues in the week, as Leanne opens her computer again, smiles at the person on the screen and tells them she loves them.
Is Leanne having an affair?
‘It was incredibly emotional which is understandable as it has been a huge part of my life’, Alex Bain reflected, talking about filming his final scenes.
‘We filmed out of order so my last scene that I filmed wasn’t Simon’s last scene in the show, but he was in Roys Rolls saying goodbye to Carla. My parents Debra and Paul had come in to watch the scene and the director kindly suggested that they could be background artists in the cafe. So there I was discussing Simon’s mum and dad with Carla whilst my own mum and dad were sitting at a table behind me having a coffee, how surreal!
‘It was so special for them and me. My mum was my chaperone when I first started and both of them have been so supportive of me throughout my time on Corrie so it was a real moment for us all that they are in one of my final scenes.
‘I felt very positive about it, yes the show has been the backbone of my life but I am 22 now and maybe it is time to see what the future holds’, he added, discussing his departure.
‘It isn’t just a job, you become part of a family and I will always have those people in my life. They aren’t just colleagues, they are friends. Obviously anybody leaving feels sad about saying goodbye to people but any sadness is a small part of it. That doesn’t take away the excitement and anticipation.
‘With Chris going it felt like the obvious thing for Simon to follow his dad, Simon has been through so much and he was lost without his dad around. Simon heading off on his adventures means I can have new ones of my own.’
