Melanie Hill has revealed that she will be leaving her role as Cathy Matthews on Coronation Street after seven years.
In a statement, the 60-year-old said that she had made the tough decision to leave in order to spend more time with her family, including her 88-year-old mother, who lives in Sunderland.
"It's not been an easy thing to decide. My family has been important but the pandemic has made a lot of people think about the future," she said in quotes first reported by The Mirror.
"It has changed a lot of things in my head. You've just got to see what's important to you.
"I absolutely love everybody but it's made me think about my family a lot and what the priorities are in my life."
Of her exit, she added: "Corrie has been absolutely fantastic because I could have just disappeared. I won't say where Cathy goes but I'm a stone's throw away from Weatherfield.
"My nephew Alex, played by Liam Bairstow, is there and Peter Gunn, who plays Brian Packham, so the door is open for me to come back – and that's a great compliment. I'm flattered and grateful.
"You never know what's around the corner there, so let's see what happens."
Hill has already filmed her final scenes, which will play out on screen next month.
Follow us on Twitter @SMEntsFeed and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.
