Coronation Street fans are set for a big shake-up following the news of Kate Oates' departure. Kate – who has been the show's producer for two years – will be replaced by Emmerdale's current boss Iain MacLeod – and he has plans for some big changes. The Sun reports that Iain will be ensuring that the show is injected with more humour – something it is renowned for, but something that viewers have felt has been lacking in recent time. Iain is also wanting to make sure that the soap's long-running characters, such as Ken Barlow, are given more storylines. "Kate was particularly popular with the younger stars," an insider told the publication. "Her departure has left people worried the new producer will want to end the violent stuff and start again. And lots are worried about a cull."
Iain MacLeod will be taking over at Coronation Street - and he has plans!
Kate's storylines have included Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal at the hands of Nathan Curtis – which saw newcomer Lucy Fallon awarded several accolades, including best actress at the 2018 British Soap Awards, for her portrayal. Most recently, Kate has been responsible for David Platt's controversial rape storyline – which has received backlash amongst fans, including Fern Britton – who took to Twitter back in March to speak out against the plot. She then retweeted a post which said Corrie had "lost it’s warmth and humour".
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Kate Oates announced her decision to leave her role at Corrie on Tuesday
It has been reported that some of the younger cast members are now fearing for their jobs as of June – when Iain takes over from the show. The source added: "Iain intends to bring back a bit of Corrie's light-hearted past while still delivering big stories. There’s been a feeling that some of the younger cast members just sleep-walk through their lines and act on social media that they are huge stars." However, an ITV spokesperson later told Digital Spy that Iain is yet to have any meetings relating to either the programme or the cast. "He won't be doing so until he joins Coronation Street in June," they said.
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Kate was responsible for storylines include Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal
After the news of Kate's departure was announced on Tuesday, Coronation Street favourite Sally Dynevor – who plays Sally Webster in the soap – had her say on the news while chatting live on Lorraine. Talking to host Lorraine Kelly from Manchester, Sally said: "We've got a new boss! It's always very sad to see somebody go – Kate Oates has done well for the show. But it's all exciting and it's change."