Coronation Street: Shelley King quits show amid huge cast changes with Yasmeen's final scenes already filmed

Shelley King has played Yasmeen Metcalfe on the show for the past 11 years but has now quit the ITV soap amid a huge mass exodus of cast members. It is believed that the star, 69, has already filmed Yasmeen’s final scenes, with her goodbye set to air in March.

A source told The Sun: "This will be another blow for fans of the show, as Yasmeen is a much-loved character who's part of the fabric of Corrie.

"She's had some huge storylines since she joined the soap in 2014, and she'll be sorely missed by cast and crew. It’s understood she is leaving so she can explore other projects."

Yasmeen has had some dramatic storylines on the show since arriving in Weatherfield with her family in 2014. After her son Kal was killed in a fire and husband Sharif had an affair with a friend, Yasmeen was left by herself before shacking up with controlling and abusive Geoff Metcalfe in 2019.

Viewers watched as Yasmeen was subjected to emotional abuse and torment at the hands of Geoff, with Yasmeen eventually stabbing her husband in the neck. She was charged with attempted murder but found not guilty in court. In recent storylines, she has since found love with chef Stu Carpenter.

The source added: "Shelley spoke to producers early last year and advised that after 10 years on the show and being involved in many major storylines during the past decade she had decided the time has come for her to explore other opportunities.

"Shelley is an accomplished stage and television actress and we fully understand her desire to take her career in another direction after 10 years playing the same role. She filmed her final scenes in December."

It comes as other high profile and long-running characters have either faced the chop or quit the cobbles amid rumours of budgets being slashed at Coronation Street. Last week it was confirmed that Charlotte Jordan, who has played barmaid Daisy over the past four years, has quit the cobbles, with her final scenes set to air later this year.

Previously Colson Smith, who plays police officer Craig Tinker, revealed his character had been axed by bosses after 14 years, while Sue Cleaver, who has played Eileen Grimshaw for 25 years, also announced her upcoming departure from the show. Other stars to have been written out of the show in upcoming storylines include Sue Devaney, who plays Debbie Webster, with her departure touted as an emotional goodbye to the character.

Viewers also watched scenes in early January in which youngster Mason Radcliffe, played by Luca Toolan, was stabbed and killed in a gut-wrenching storyline. The Christmas storyline involved the departure of the show’s longest-running character Gail Platt (Helen Worth) as she made her exit from Coronation Street after marrying Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson).