Yahoo News 9 outspoken soap cast members who didn't leave quietly
There's rarely such a thing as a quiet and low-key exit in soap, particularly when the actor playing the departing character doesn't agree with the decision made by the higher powers of the show.
There's little that can wound a star's pride more than getting hit by the falling axe, especially when they have little say in the matter of how they go – and in worse-case scenarios are bumped off, slamming the door well and truly shut behind them.
In stressful times like this, stars often struggle to bite their lip and remain silent on the matter. Here are nine actors who had one or two not-so-positive things to say about their exits.
1. Martine McCutcheon (EastEnders)
It was anything but Martine McCutcheon's perfect moment when she turned on the radio to discover her character Tiffany Mitchell was being killed off in EastEnders.
The bosses of the soap that had made Martine a household name at the age of 18 had forgotten to mention she was being permanently written out – so it wasn't just the fans who were shocked by the news that their favourite character was going bye-bye in the 1998 New Year's Eve episode.
McCutcheon, who went on to star in the hit movie Love Actually and is now a popular panellist on Loose Women, admitted recently she's never really got over how she left 'Enders nearly two decades ago.
"It was the way I was told, by listening to the radio," she explained. "None of the other cast members believed me. They were like, 'I cannot believe you didn't tell us,' and I was like, 'No, I am so embarrassed.' At any time they can get rid of you – nobody is the star of that show."
2. Bruce Jones (Coronation Street)
As loudmouth Les Battersby caused chaos on the cobbles, actor Bruce Jones's dismissal from Corrie was equally dramatic. He was given the boot back in 2007 after allegedly getting drunk with an undercover reporter, mouthing off about his co-stars and revealing show secrets.
A Sunday newspaper report at the time claimed that Bruce had said some not-so-nice things about his Corrie colleagues and given away the outcome of Tracy Barlow's murder trial, although he disputed the report and insisted that his remarks had been taken out of context by the tabloid.
Already struggling with an alcohol addiction, Bruce's life continued to spiral after the termination of his contract.
His efforts to find other acting work fell flat, and mounting debts led to his house being repossessed. In 2013 he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, and two years later his riches-to-rags story was documented in a Channel 5 programme, which showed how Bruce, who was once earning six figures from his Corrie contract, was living on benefits to survive.
3. Stephanie Davis (Hollyoaks)
In what must be Hollyoaks' most controversial sacking, Stephanie Davis was fired from the show with immediate effect in 2015 after allegedly turning up to set in an unfit state to work. Stephanie's agent admitted that the young star had been on her final warning for her bad behaviour, but Steph fired back in an interview, saying stories of being drunk on the job had been blown out of proportion.
She also hit out at producers for axing some of the scenes she'd filmed on her final days on set, tweeting: "Some of my best scenes cut. Can't go out on a high I guess oh well."
Stephanie claimed she had reached breaking point following the loss of her grandmother, and had actually decided herself that she needed a break from Hollyoaks before the media storm hit. The following year, Steph was back on our screens in CBB, and we all know how that one ended...
4. Shane Connor (Neighbours)
The Aussie actor played builder Joe Scully for eight years before his role came to an abrupt end in 2003 when Neighbours bosses sensationally sacked him. It transpired that Shane, who had been battling an amphetamine addiction off-screen, was sacked because the producers had received complaints from his co-stars, mainly from his on-screen wife Janet Andrewartha, who played Lyn.
Shane did not take his dismissal lying down and sued the show's producer Grundy Television for the wrongful termination of his contract. After a highly-publicised court battle, the actor won his case, and was awarded by the Supreme Court of Victoria a cool $230,000.
"The actions of Grundy were not only personally distressing but also did significant damage to my professional standing and career," Shane said in a statement after the ruling. "I have asked my lawyers to examine the court's findings and advise me of any other legal action I may wish to consider."
5. Samantha Womack (EastEnders)
EastEnders viewers were up in arms when producers announced they were killing off Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, and they weren't alone in thinking the double whammy was a duff decision. Actress Samantha Womack, who played the steely blonde businesswoman for nine years, revealed her feelings on the matter to a national newspaper, saying: "I didn't want her (Ronnie) to die in the first place... It was a shock... I was so sad when they killed her."
The star also admitted she would miss the on-screen magic between her and Rita Simons (Roxy), and that they weren't given much warning before finding out about their characters' watery end.
6. John Bowe (Emmerdale)
When Emmerdale insiders leaked the upcoming departure of Home Farm boss Lawrence White back in the spring, actor John Bowe was very quick to point out that it wasn't his choice to wave goodbye to the Dales.
The actor took to Twitter to express his disappointment at being given the chop, and replied to one fan's comment with: "Not my decision. #actorslife." He also told another: "I'm still reeling from the door that's just been slammed in my face. I shall get up, dust myself down, etc."
With Lawrence's exit tipped to be one of the big Christmas storylines, Emmerdale has remained a little more quiet on the matter, simply saying it doesn't comment on plot speculation or actor's contracts.
7. Lizzie Roper (Hollyoaks)
There was no going back for cursed copper Sam Lomax, who died in a fatal hit and run alongside her hubby Danny in 2014, but actress Lizzie Roper believed her character was killed off before she had reached her potential.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine the year after her exit from 'Oaks, Lizzie said the show could have got far more from Sam and Danny, and whilst their departure was dramatic and memorable, the show had lost two of their key characters.
"The crash itself was fantastic and really fun, but I think there was more they could have got out of Sam and Danny," she told the magazine. "They had a huge amount of sympathy and people were really into them, so the shock of their deaths worked for a couple of episodes – but ultimately, the show lost two big characters."
The star did admit she wouldn't turn down the opportunity to work in Soapland again, so we may see her pop up in Weatherfield or Walford one day!
8. Phil Daniels (EastEnders)
Phil Daniels's 18-month stint on EastEnders ended in 2007 when his character Kevin Wicks was crushed to death in a horror car crash, but despite bowing out in a blaze of glory, Phil hasn't been able to resist having a pop or two at the show in the years since his exit.
In an interview in 2015, the actor blasted 'Enders for its lack of humour, even going as far as saying the show had run its course and should be axed by the BBC.
"I'd take it off the telly if I could," he admitted. "I just think it's run its course. It's nothing to do with any of the acting as I think people do really good work in it. I just feel that it is time for something different. EastEnders and Coronation Street seem a bit like the opium of the masses now. Why don't they try something else for the British public?"
Phil didn't hold back about his own character either, revealing how he went into the show to play a comedy part, and had become annoyed when Kevin's storylines became dark and depressing.
9. Charlie Hardwick (Emmerdale)
Ahh how we miss our HI-Val and her wonderful one-liners. The gregarious Geordie met her maker in the hall of mirrors as part of the helicopter crash stunt in 2015, leaving fans heartbroken at the loss of a village icon. At the time of her departure, actress Charlie Hardwick openly admitted it was 100 per cent her decision to go, and that she wanted to try and get a bit of a life balance back.
However, when she took to the stage at the British Soap Awards in 2016 to collect her award for Scene of the Year, Charlie changed her tune slightly by saying she hadn't actually wanted Val to be killed off.
Addressing the packed-out crowd, she explained: "When it came to the last scene, I was very nervous about it. I didn't want to be killed – never mind! That was beyond my control."
It seemed that Charlie wanted a happier ending for Val – and perhaps the door to be left open. But if ever soap can bring a character back from the dead to make a regular stint as a ghost, then it's our Valerie!
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