Coronation Street legend 'absolutely gutted' as he responds to exits after soap boss' 'shock' warning

Coronation Street legend Andy Whyment has admitted to being 'absolutely gutted' about his co-star Colson Smith's impending exit after he revealed the news himself.

As fans of the ITV soap will know, Colson has spent more than a decade playing Craig Tinker on the cobbles, with much of his work alongside Andy, who is best known for playing Weatherfield's Kirk Sutherland.

In a social media post, shared to X and Instagram alongside a picture of himself portraying Craig as a police officer, Colson announced on Monday night (January 6): "Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker's time on the Cobbles is to come to end in 2025.

"I've loved every single second of my 14 year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in, on and around Coronation Street. I've learned pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home.

"I’m excited to play out the exit story for Our Craigy." Colson added: "For Me, this is just the end of the beginning. I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter 2 has in store for me. LONG LIVE THE COBBLES!"

His Corrie co-stars were quick to respond to the post, with Andy among those. He has shared in the comments sections of Colson's post: "I’m still absolutely gutted and you know how much you’re gonna be missed by us all."

He added: "But I’m also really excited for you as I know you’re going to do really well, and you won’t be getting rid of me we’re friends for life now." But Colson joked in response: "Trouble is you know where I live!!"

Colson's exit comes after Corrie's new boss Kate Brooks warned about changes to the cast. During her first chat in the role with the Manchester Evening News, Kate was asked about exits from the cobbles