Coronation Street star shares huge career plans as he leaves cobbles after 16 years
Alex Bain, best known for playing Simon Barlow in Coronation Street for 16 years, has opened up about leaving the cobbles and shared his future plans away from the ITV soap
A Coronation Street legend has shared his career plans as his final scenes are set to play out.
Alex Bain has been a fixture on the iconic ITV soap as Simon Barlow for over 16 years and despite parting ways with his alter ego, he’s thrilled that his character heading off into the sunset with a “happy ending”.
Simon, who was first seen as a character back in 2003 played by Daniel Whelan followed by Jake and Oscar Hartley, is about set to sail alongside his father Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) following a turbulent journey of overcoming alcohol abuse.
As Simon bids farewell to Weatherfield, Alex has opened up about his plans for the future. He explained: “I will always be a dancer and one day I would love to be a choreographer and teach dance and ultimately open my own dance and performance school.
“I am currently finally taking my ballet and modern intermediate exams that I should have done when I was 16. I need those qualifications to have a chance of teaching and doing choreography. Acting goes hand in hand with dancing though so hopefully I will be able to continue to do both. But dance is definitely my focus at the moment.
“I’d like to do a dance teaching course. I’ve been able to attend a full week’s worth of classes, which is something I haven’t been able to do for a while. “It is an exciting time for me to start thinking about what is next.” When asked about finding out his time on the cobbled was coming to an end, Alex said: “I felt very positive about it. 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.”
In an interview courtesy of ITV, when quizzed about his feelings towards leaving his character behind, Alex expressed: “Yes, I am [going to miss Simon], because we have spent so much time together over the past 16 years. We are like two sides of the same coin, in a way.
“I am so pleased that he has a happy ending, that he is literally sailing off into the sunset with his dad and there is hope for his future. : “I don’t have to grieve for him as he hasn’t been killed off. He hasn’t gone to prison.” The young actor also confessed it was “incredibly emotional” shooting his final scene but shared that his parents were there to be part of this profound moment.