Shaw denies cast cull rumours

Tracy Shaw, aka Coronation Street hairdresser Maxine Peacock, has denied reports that a further eight cast members are to be axed from the soap.

According to today's edition of The Sun, characters such as cornershop owner Dev Alahan and cabbie operator Eileen Grimshaw would be written out later this year.

Speaking on This Morning, however, Shaw denied the report. "It is not true. They're giving us a bad time at the moment, I think generally. There's big changes, new producers, people moving in and out. I've been on holiday, so I don't know what the atmosphere's been like. I'm sure it's really tense, but I think people underestimate how close we all are anyway so everybody really helps each other out when stuff like this happens."

A spokesperson for the soap told Ananova that the rumours were "pre speculation".