Briggs denies axing rumours

Actor Johnny Briggs today denied a national newspaper claim that his character, Mike Baldwin, has been axed from Coronation Street after 28 years.

In a telephone interview with GMTV this morning, Briggs said: "As far as I'm concerned I have a contract until at least next year." He was baffled over where the story had originated from.

Later, in a further telephone interview with the programme, he told presenter Fiona Philips: "I'm fine, I'm fantastic." and when asked if there was any substance in The Sun's story he replied: "I think if I had been fired I would be the first to hear about it."

When she pointed out that he had apparently told co-stars of his dismissal, he replied: "I would like to know when I told them that, because the contract that I've got goes until September 2006."

Commenting on The Sun's suggestion that Baldwin would contract a serious, terminal illness - "the longest exit storyline in soap history" - he joked: "Oh my goodness, I had better start taking some pills." He went on to say that he had great respect for producer Tony Wood and if anything like what was suggested was going to happen, he felt certain he would be the first to know.

He has been acting since he was 12 years old "and I've never been sacked in my life." He added: "I haven't said anything to anybody about anything."

The paper also claims that Wood is to axe "the entire Harris family."

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