Coronation Street legend Chris Gascoyne, who plays Peter Barlow, is reportedly leaving the cobbles after 23 years.
He made his Corrie debut as Peter in 2000 and made a permanent return in 2016, but has allegedly decided to "take an extended break" from the soap to "explore other roles."
A source supposedly told The Sun: "Chris has decided to take an extended break from the soap.
"He loves working at Coronation Street but he's got a lot of things he wants to do and the time is right for him to take a break and pursue other roles. It isn't a final goodbye and the door is very much being left open.
"Obviously fans will be devastated but there's a good few months of huge drama yet before he bids farewell to the cobbles."
There is no set date for his return to the cobbles, but it is thought Chris will reprise the role of Peter in the future and how he will leave the soap is yet to be revealed.
It was recently announced that Chris had landed a new role away from the soap as he is set to play Captain Hook in the pantomime The All New Adventures of Peter Pan at The Alban Arena in St Albans over the Christmas period.
Despite Peter's exit storyline not yet confirmed, it's guaranteed to have plenty of twists, especially with his current worries that his girlfriend Carla Connor (Alison King) could have a mental health relapse after displaying manic behaviour.
However, they're oblivious to the fact that serial killer Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) has been secretly drugging Carla with LSD in a bid to take over the Underworld factory.
Once the bombshell is revealed, Peter is guaranteed to explode and take matters into his own hands, which could lead to a deadly showdown with the killer businessman. Could this pave the way to Peter's potential exit from Weatherfield?
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITVX.
