Kate Oates has quit ‘Coronation Street’.
The 39-year-old showrunner has confirmed that she has left the helm of the ITV soap and will be replaced by Iain MacLeod, who is currently show chief for ‘Emmerdale’, in June.
She said: "I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity and all it has given me, but I’m also excited to try something new."
Kate will now move to work on the ITV drama series ‘Bancroft’, which stars Sarah Parish in the titular role.
A source told The Sun newspaper of Kate’s ‘Corrie’ exit: "It was always a matter of when, not if, with Kate going, and now it’s been confirmed she’s leaving. There’s a feeling of jumping before she was pushed.
"But she is staying within the ITV family. The storylines she worked on, while rating successes, were very divisive among viewers and the cast and crew. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what the future on the soap looks like now."
Kate has come under fire in the past for the "dark episodes" of the show but she previously insisted they will serve the soap well "long-term".
She said: "I do take things on board, but I don’t think it changes the narrative because I know what storylines I want to tell. When I’m reading storylines I will sometimes say to the team, ‘This is a really dark episode … we need a lighter story and maybe some humour.’
"I like the viewers to stay in touch. But it doesn’t change the narrative drive because I believe in that. I’ve made decisions with my team and we’re on board with that. We hope we’re doing storylines that will serve the show well long-term."
During her time on the show, ‘Coronation Street’ has addressed hard-hitting issues including male rape, the grooming of Bethany Platt.
Kate Oates quits Coronation Street
