EXCLUSIVE: Actor Jason Callender has admitted it was ‘really hard’ to see his co-star leave the ITV soap
Coronation Street star Jason Callender has admitted it was ‘really hard’ to see his co-star leave the long-running show as their final scenes air.
Those who watch the ITV soap will have seen the actor make his debut on the cobbles earlier this year. He was recast in the role of James Bailey, who is the youngest son of Ed and Aggie Bailey and brother of Michael and Dee-Dee and fans will recall that Ed, Aggie and their two sons first arrived on the Street back in 2019.
They were then followed by Ed’s brother, Ronnie Bailey, in early 2021 before in 2022, viewers got to meet the much-talked-about Dee Dee. In 2022, James left Weatherfield as he took a job as a coach at a youth centre in Lewisham.
However, James, previously played by Nathan Graham, was seen returning in March, being tempted back by his dad with sister Dee-Dee pregnant and wanting to give her baby up for adoption. But after Laila’s birth, James had to rush back to the States because his partner, Danny, had been in a life-threatening accident.
But Dee-Dee was later shocked when James returned to the Street with baby Laila, after Danny ended their relationship. Being around her daughter soon led to Dee-Dee having a change of heart, and she decided to give guardianship to her brother. While initially heartbroken, the pair agreed to co-parent the litter girl.
However, James was blindsided this week when she revealed that she was planning to leave Weatherfield, having accepted a new job in Singapore. Upon hearing the news, James fumed: “A creche in Singapore, 24/7? You really think that’s in her best interests? What do they even speak out there?”
Dee Dee responded: “I have agonised over this. And yes, it’s the right thing for me, but I’m sorry, it is also the best thing for Laila. A job where I can make a difference!” James hit back: “I was there for you. I was there for Laila. I provided a solution. This was your idea! This was always, always going to happen.”
Dee-Dee does leave for Singapore in Friday’s (December 19) episode of Corrie and Jason has admitted that it was said to see Channique Sterling-Brown go when speaking to the Manchester Evening News at the premiere of Corriedale, the Corrie and Emmerdale crossover, at The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, the UK City of Culture 2025, on Tuesday (December 16).
“It was really hard, because from my screen test to my first day, it’s just been me and Channique,” he told us. “So we’ve had such a good tussle on and off screen, and we get on so well, so it’s really hard to say goodbye to her in that way. And it’s a shame we never got to do more fun stuff, our brother-sister relationship was building nicely..”
After Dee-Dee’s exit bombshell, Corrie viewers saw James heading into the toilets where he burst into tears, and text his secret lover, Carl Webster, to see if he wanted to meet up. He later tells Carl to ignore the message as he was drunk and it was a mistake – but what’s ahead for the pair?
“I think there’s moments… There might be a moment here and there,” Jason said, with both characters confirmed the 40-strong cast list for the Corrie and Emmerdale crossover episode, before he added: “James and Carl aren’t done quite yet!”
