In tonight’s episode of Coronation Street, viewers will learn that the beloved character Julie Carp is battling stage four cancer.
Portrayed by actress Katy Cavanagh in the ITV soap, Julie confides in her nephew, Todd Grimshaw, about her terminal diagnosis, desperately trying to keep it secret from her family.
Attempting to protect her relatives from the painful truth, Julie shocks Todd with the revelation that her time is limited and she might not survive past the summertime.
Todd, taken aback by the heartbreaking news, is further troubled when Julie pleads with him to keep her condition away from her sister, Eileen Grimshaw (played by Sue Cleaver), the Express reports.
Upcoming episodes will see Todd and George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) facing the delicate task of persuading Julie to open up to Eileen. Whether Julie will choose to share her dire circumstance remains to be seen.
Katy Cavanagh has expressed her feelings about returning to the ITV series, stating: “It felt good to be asked to be part of Eileen’s departure story it is perfect to come and have some closure on Julie and Eileen, to kind of revisit her.”
She added: “And there was such a lovely vibe between Julie and Eileen. We are having a lot of fun together. Sue and I go back to my very first job on The Cops so it is a full circle moment.”
Coronation Street is currently under scrutiny following a series of staff departures and crew members moving to competitor broadcasters.
A report from The Sun suggests that financial difficulties are playing a central role in this trend, with sources attributing the staff exodus to a severe budget cutback.
Charlotte Jordan, Shelley King, Sue Cleaver, Helen Worth, Debbie Webster, and Luca Toolan are among the stars who have already left or are set to exit the show later this year. Additionally, the Head of Production is reportedly moving on from the Cobbles to join the team at Hollyoaks.
A source told The Sun: “Corrie is on its knees financially, and bosses are being forced to make hard decisions”.
Citing soaring TV production costs and a shrinking advertising market as key issues, they added: “The cast are not happy, but ITV have no choice but to slash costs,” the insider further explained.