Coronation Street star Shelley King has hinted that she might not be gone forever after her final scenes aired.
Shelley, 69, has played Speed Daal owner Yasmeen Nazir on the ITV soap since 2014, and it was announced this January that she’d be leaving. In a recent post on Corrie’s official Instagram account, however, she wouldn’t let Yasmeen say a firm goodbye to fans – with the method of her exit meaning that her character is still alive and not written out completely.
“Hello everybody, Yasmeen here. Or I’m also known as Shelley King, but Yasmeen has been my name for the last ten and a half years in this glorious street. And I’m so privileged to be living in number six. I’ve had the most wonderful time,” Shelley said in the Instagram video filmed in her character’s restaurant.
“I’m very, very sad to be leaving. I just felt I’d have to try going back to the stage maybe, try to refresh Yasmeen. We’re very close, Yas and I, so – as you probably know – Yas is going to do other things.”
Shelley King said that her character Yasmeen said ‘see you soon’ rather than ‘goodbye’ after her final scenes aired this week (
ITV)
After teasing both herself and Yasmeen trying out other paths, Shelley then added: “She will not say goodbye. She will say as the French do, ‘à bientôt,’ which means ‘see you soon.’ Somewhere, somehow.”
In the comment section, one fan picked up on the hint and wrote: “I hope you will return sometime in the future. I’ve enjoyed watching Yasmeen. Good luck.”
“All the best for the future Shelley, you will be so missed,” said a second, while a third added: “This woman is actually a real inspiration. I wish her all the best for the future.”
After Shelley’s exit was confirmed, a source told The Sun: “This will be another blow for fans of the show, as Yasmeen is a much-loved character who’s part of the fabric of Corrie.
“She’s had some huge storylines since she joined the soap in 2014, and she’ll be sorely missed by cast and crew. It’s understood she is leaving so she can explore other projects.”
While Shelley leaving has upset some fans, its following a trend of many main cast members quitting or being axed. Insiders have claimed the ITV soap is “on its knees” with funding issues.
Fan favourite characters are reportedly being axed in the hope of securing new talent and younger cast members, who can be paid less to feature in the show.
Shelley joins Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, and Colson Smith, who plays Craig Tinker, as one of the bigs names exiting the soap this year.
While some fans are concerned, a Coronation Street source told the Mirror : “Corrie’s vision for the future on the show has secured its place on screens for years to come. Fans can ignore any idea that within a decade the soap will be gone, because it’s in no way on the brink of collapse.”
