Les Dennis has quit ‘Coronation Street’.
The 62-year-old actor joined the long-running soap two years ago as charming house burglar Michael Rodwell but has now made the "hard" decision to turn his back on the ITV programme in order to explore other television projects.
He said: "As a lifelong fan of the show, [this] has been a dream come true. Becoming part of the ITV ‘Coronation Street’ family has been a wonderful experience and my decision to leave was a hard one.
"Earlier this year, thanks to ‘Coronation Street’ giving me a sabbatical from the show, I was thrilled to be able to produce and star in a sell-out production of Alan Bleasdale’s ‘Down the Dock Road’ at The Royal Court Liverpool. I always knew that the time would come when I would want the freedom to do more projects, and now feels like the right time."
The star will bow out of show later this year but he’s remaining tight-lipped on how his character will leave the cobbles.
He explained: "The talented team of writers and producers have come up with a very dramatic exit for Michael on the show which will be exciting to film. I’ll treasure the two and a half years I have been part of such an iconic show and move on with very fond memories, so many lovely friends and colleagues and an ambition achieved."