Ian Puleston-Davies has quit ‘Coronation Street’.
The 56-year-old actor has told soap bosses he doesn’t want to renew his contract and stay in Weatherfield as builder Owen Armstrong because he wants to star in a play he has written.
He said: "Next year I will have been playing Owen Armstrong for five years and it felt like a good point to move on.
"I have returned to my writing and in 2015 hope to put on a new play.
"But I’d never rule out returning to the role of Owen at some point."
Show chiefs are sad to see the actor depart but have promised Owen will be involved in some "fantastic drama" before Ian leaves the cobbles.
Producer Stuart Blackburn said: "We wish Ian all the very best and there is still a lot of fantastic drama to come for him before he leaves."
Ian’s hard-hitting drama about drug and alcohol addiction is expected to open in London next summer.
Away from ‘Corrie’, Ian has been open about his struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and recently admitted it is often "exhausting" coping with the anxiety disorder.
He said recently: "I’m sitting here obsessing about whether my ear is clean, about the stains on the table and how close the guy behind me is sitting.
"It took me ages to just sit down at the table as I was afraid it would break my coccyx on the chair."
"Sometimes, it’s exhausting just getting through the day."
Ian Puleston-Davies quits Coronation Street
