Coronation Street star Farrel Hegarty leaves ITV soap again

Farrel Hegarty, who plays Lou Michaelis in the ITV soap, has said that she is now “out of the show” once again.

The soap star made a shock exit just months after being introduced last year, before returning last month.

Coronation Street star Farrel Hegarty leaves ITV soap again

Hegarty joined the cast of Coronation Street towards the beginning of 2025, debuting alongside on-screen husband Mick Michaelis, played by Joe Layton.

She was subsequently revealed as the mother of Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), who is in a young offender’s institution.

Brody’s father is later revealed not to be Mick, but Kit Green (Jacob Roberts).

Her character was sent to prison in July 2025, with Hegarty departing the show before returning in February 2026.

Now, Farrel is set to leave the show once again after her brief return, and she spoke about her latest departure on the Girlfriend Material podcast.

She said: “I’m out of the show now.

“I’ve stopped filming.

“I came back in Corrie for, like, a short stint.

“I was in it for six months and I came back because I’m [her character is] in prison.

“She’s in prison, she’s not a good girl.”

Farrel had previously said how she would get emotional filming her last scenes, having planned to move abroad before landing her role in Corrie.

She told The Mirror : “Watching the other actors is like a masterclass in acting.

“When I do film my final scenes, I’ll probably cry.”

Who has been on Coronation Street the longest?

While Farrel’s time on Coronation Street has not been the longest stint, there are several actors who have been on the Cobbles for years.

William Roache holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving actor in a television soap opera, having played Ken Barlow on Coronation Street since 1960.

Barbara Knox, who plays Rita Tanner, has been on the show since 1964.

She first appeared as Rita for one episode before returning to the show as a full-time cast member in 1972.

Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) has been on Corrie since the 1980s, with Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster), having been on the show since 1983, notably returning in 2014.

Other long-standing actors include Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe) and Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald), who have also been on the show for a few decades.

Who is your favourite character on Coronation Street? Let us know in the comments.