'End of the line' for Corrie knicker-stitcher

Coronation Street actress Zaraah Abrahams has been axed from the soap.

The 20-year-old actress, who has played Underworld factory worker Joanne Jackson for two-and-a-half years, will walk the Cobbles for one final time in July and her on-screen exit is scheduled to broadcast a month later. The door will, however, be left open for the character's return.

The news comes within weeks of Tina O'Brien's (Sarah Platt) announcement that she is to quit the Manchester-based soap at the end of the year and confirmation of Rupert Hill's (Jamie Baldwin) decision to leave when his contract expires next year.

Producer Steve Frost confirmed that the axe had fallen on Zaraah's character: "It wasn’t a situation like Tina’s where she came in and said she wanted to go.

"Zaraah is a great actress, but in soaps characters come and go as they do in real life. Basically, it’s just the end of the line for her character. We wish her well."

Zaraah told The Sun: "I have had the most amazing time but I am very excited about the future. I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to play some new roles."

Other departures from the soap over the past six months have included Kate Ford (Tracy Barlow), Bill Ward (Charlie Stubbs), Debra Stephenson (Frankie Baldwin), Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) and Sam Robertson (Adam Barlow).

Meanwhile, Wendi Peters (Cilla Battersby-Brown) and Sean Gallagher (Paul Connor) are also set to leave the show later this year.