TA-RA CHUCKS
Corrie star Helen and producer Kate quit cobbles:
CORONATION Street boss Kate Oates is leaving the soap after ‘transforming’ the cobbles, ITV has said.
She will be replaced by Emmerdale producer Iain MacLeod.
Kate is leaving the soap to move into drama series production and will work on the second series of Bancroft.
ITV studios creative director John Whiston said Kate had ‘transformed’ the cobbles during her tenure, with the soap moving from five episodes to six episodes a week in 2017.
He said: “We are now used to opening the over nights and seeing Coronation Street has delivered its highest ratings for many years, a herculean achievement in this box set era.
“Kate has done this whilst putting on screen some groundbreaking and socially important stories such as the Bethany grooming story and David’s rape story.
“It is a testament to her brilliant editorial touch that these stories, though difficult, have been both credible and engaging.
“Meanwhile, Kate has unleashed on us one of the finest villains in soap history with Pat Phelan and his dastardly deeds. And the show has continued day in day out to provide the viewer with top notch Corrie humour, from Liz to Moira, from Steve to Tracy, from Sally to Tim.”
Kate said: “Being a part of Coronation Street has quite simply been one of the best experiences of my life. I am proud of the stories we have told and the impact they have had - and I’ve had a ball working with one of the best and most talented teams in television.
“I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity and all it has given me, but I’m also excited to try something new.
“I can’t wait to make a start on Bancroft, working with the brilliant Sarah Parish and Tall Story Pictures - and I’ll continue to love watching both ITV soaps from the comfort of my sofa.”
Iain is due to take up the position of Street producer this summer. He said: “Working on Emmerdale at a time when it’s enjoyed such success has been a total joy and I will miss the people and the place immensely - it’s a special show full of huge talent. Only Corrie could have tempted me away.”
Corrie fans had a mixed reaction to the news. Many viewers had lamented the soap’s ‘darker’ direction under Kate’s tenure, complaining recently that the show needed deliver more laughs and less ‘doom and gloom.’
But others applauded the bold direction that Kate had led the soap, with groundbreaking stories such as the grooming of Bethany Platt, which saw actress Lucy Fallon win the gong for Best Serial Drama Performance at this year’s National Television Awards. And the national charity helpline Male Survivor, which supports survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation, saw a 1,700 per cent increase in calls following the harrowing David Platt rape storyline last month.
After watching what happened to David, viewers praised the soap for tackling the reality of male rape - the first time the show has ever dealt with the subject in its 57 year history.
She was also the mastermind behind evil Phelan’s murderous reign of terror and brought back show favourites Carla Connor and Peter Barlow.