Almost seven years after securing her “first ever acting job” on Coronation Street, a “well-liked” cast member has said goodbye to the ITV soap.
Mollie Gallagher, 28, has played Nina Lucas on the ITV soap since 2019, and was introduced as the lost niece of Roy Cropper (David Neilson).
During Gallagher’s stint on Corrie, her character was injured in a hate crime, which resulted in the death of her boyfriend, Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni), and had a relationship with Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey).
But she decided to quit the series to pursue other projects and, after her final episode aired on Sunday (30 August), Gallagher paid tribute to the soap, writing on Instagram: “Nina and Corrie, you have been a dream. I stepped foot on to the cobbles almost 7 years ago and what a time it has been!”
She continued: “As a working class Actor from Salford, I am proud to be part of a show that feels like home, and I am beyond grateful for everything and everybody there.
“Corrie brought a dream of a character to life and I can’t believe l get to say I played a dream role for my first ever acting job.”
She left the soap to go on tour with a new stage version of 1991 psychological horror Silence of the Lambs, in which she’ll play the Jodie Foster character, Clarice Starling.
However, the door has been left open for her return to the cobbles.
A Coronation Street spokesperson hailed Gallagher for “creating a unique and well-loved character in Nona’, adding: “Everyone will be sorry to see her go.”
Coronation Street, which began in 1960, was hit with a wave of cast departures in recent years, spearheaded by the exit of Gail Platt actor Helen Worth and Luca Toolan, who played Mason Radcliffe.
Other stars who left the cobbles included Charlotte Jordan, who played popular Rovers Return barmaid Daisy Midgeley, PC Craig Tinker provided by Colson Smith, and Sue Cleaver, who played Eileen Grimshaw.
Cleaver opted to leave the show after 25 years to look “for new adventures”, but she assured fans that “the door is still firmly open” for a potential return one day in the future.
It was reported by The Sun that cast members were in danger of being dropped from the soap due to an alleged cash crisis occurring behind the scenes, with bosses opting to shine a light on the show’s younger actors because they are cheaper to retain. ITV denied the claims.
However, budget cuts at the channel led to Corrie and fellow soap Emmerdale’s episode counts being reduced from six to five a week, a decision that came into effect in January 2026.
The exodus from the soap wasn’t just exclusive to the cast, either. It was reported in 2025 that up to 75 staff members working on the soap, including writers, would depart the production due to a behind-the-scenes restructuring caused by the financial cuts.
