Nathan Graham has shared a goodbye message with Coronation Street fans which was quickly shown a lot of love and support by his former co-stars. The actor joined the ITV soap in 2019 as part of the Bailey family who made history as the first black family in the soap’s history.
But after three years, Nathan decided to call it quits. It comes after James' footballing career at Weatherfield County came to an abrupt end after he suffered a cardiac arrest and found out he had a heart condition cardiomyopathy. After initially being determined to return to the game, he realised that his footballing dreams were no longer to be.
And during Monday night's trip to the cobbles, fans saw James head off to begin a new chapter in his life. During the episode, on October 3, Ronnie told his nephew James of a youth centre near Lewisham looking for a football coach. Realising it’s close to where boyfriend Danny Tomlinson lives, James promised to call them straight away.
He was soon telling his uncle that he had got the job and then he had to break the news to his parents, Aggie Ed, brother Michael and sister Dee-Dee, who only arrived in Weatherfield last week. After initial reservations, Aggie, alongside her family, waved off James as he jumped in the back of a taxi.
He was also shown support by his neighbours, Dev Alahan, Kevin Webster, Chesney Brown, and Tyrone Dobbs, who donned their Weatherfield County shirts and chanted his name as he was driven across the cobbles and away from his home to start afresh down south.
And while Corrie viewers were left baffled by James' exit scenes, Nathan was soon sharing a moving tribute to his character, co-stars and the soap. "Taxi for James," the departing soap star typed alongside a string of pictures, the first being a new promo shot of the Bailey family following Dee-Dee's arrival, played by Channique Sterling-Brown.
"I’m super grateful for the last 3 and a half years on the famous cobbles! I’ve learnt so much, been given important storylines, which I tried to do to the best of my ability and if they helped at least one person then I’m more than happy with that," he went on to say.
"To all the cast, crew and everyone in the building thank you so much for making me and the rest of the Baileys feel welcome and a part of the Corrie family when we first joined! For your continued support, laughs and moments I’ve shared with you all! I’ve definitely made friendships and memories that will last a lifetime!
"My on-screen fam. We made history by being the first black family to move onto the street, no one can take that away from us! I love you like my own and you’re stuck with me forever." He then ended his post by recreating the County chant: "There’s only one James Bailey!"
Among the snaps he shared was one with Michael actor Ryan Russell with them pulling sad faces while another showed Nathan alongside Ryan, Channique, Trevor Michael Georges and Lorna Laidlaw inside No.3 Coronation Street. And he couldn't go without sharing a party snap alongside a number of the soap's favourite stars.
Responding to Nathan's post, Paddy Bever, who plays Max Turner in the ITV soap, said: "We’ll miss you Nathan." Faye Windass actress Ellie Leach commented: "We miss you so much." She also shared a sweet snap of the pair to her own Instagram Story and said: "Thanks for the lols, the cuddles, and for always looking after me."
Millie Gibson, who exited the soap last month as Kelly Neelan, also shared a picture of them both at her leaving party. "Best of luck with it all, the absolute powerhouse that is... @nathangraham5." He replied: "Let's goooo!! I'm excited for you to see what you do next."
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