Soap star Jack P. Shepherd has revealed that there is a behind-the-scenes “rule” for the cast of Coronation Street that some actors have broken. Whilst discussing it, he teased that one former co-star broke the rule over the last year.
Jack, 37, has given insights into what it’s like to work on the ITV soap through the On the Sofa podcast, which he co-hosts with pals Colson Smith, 26, and Ben Price, 53. A recent episode saw the colleagues discuss a WhatsApp group that’s used by those currently working on Corrie.
It was brought up when Colson – who announced earlier this year that he would be leaving Corrie – said that he’d left the group the day after his leaving do in Manchester last month. Jack – who plays David Platt – went on to share a “rule” that he said the cast have been given for the chat.
Colson – who has played Craig Tinker since 2011 – said on an episode of the trio’s podcast that was released just last week: “I left the main group, didn’t I, straight away? It was Saturday morning. I got home and I thought ‘I want to get out of the WhatsApp group as quick as I can’.”
Ben – who plays Nick Tilsley – clarified: “It’s the biggest one, the Corrie group, isn’t it?” Colson continued: “Yeah. So I just put in ‘thanks for everyone who came last night. It was a perfect ending to my time on the show’. [Then I] Left.”
Jack teased that Colson “didn’t even give it an hour” for people to respond to his message. Whilst Ben later teased on the episode: “Some people are hanging on even though they’ve left.” Colson added: “Yeah, someone who’s left the show acknowledged my message, I’ve been told.”
Co-host Jack went on to reveal a “rule” for the group chat, with him suggesting that bosses had introduced it. He said: “That is a thing. With the group, it’s meant to be that as soon as you leave the show you have to leave the group.”
He continued: “And that’s not a rule that we’ve made up – it’s a rule that upstairs have made up.” Further commenting, Jack told listeners: “So the grown ups have told us this is what we need to stick to and we do, nine times out of ten.”
Jack then shared that a “few” former co-stars have stayed in the group after leaving the show. He teased that they include one “very big person,” before naming his on-screen mother Helen Worth, 74 – whose on-screen departure as the character Gail Platt aired on Christmas Day last year.
He commented: “I don’t think anybody’s got the heart to tell them to leave and that person’s Helen Worth. I don’t think she’s even probably checked the group to see what’s going on but it amuses me that she’s still on it.”
The release of the podcast episode last week comes ahead of Colson’s final scenes for Corrie airing – though, as previously reported, they have already been filmed. His leaving do last month was attended by co-stars including Jack – who is rumoured to be a housemate on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother – and Ben.
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