Connie Britton May Be Leaving Nashville: Can The Show Survive?

Say it ain’t so! Connie Britton may be leaving Nashville when the series returns in January. The show’s new network CMT officially announced it’s air date, Thursday 5th January, though EW are reporting that season five may be Britton’s last.

The former Friday Night Lights star has apparently only signed on for 10 of the 22 episode season, while co-star Hayden Panettiere is fully on-board. This comes as former series regulars Will Chase and Aubrey Peeples announced their exit when the series was axed from ABC and picked up by CMT.

But can the show cope without its star? While Rayna Jaymes is the heart and soul of the show, it has always focused on an ensemble cast, centred around the rivalry between Britton’s Rayna and Panettiere’s Juliette Barnes. We’ve grown to love so many of the supporting characters and the show has already proven that it can survive without one of its leading ladies; Paneittere was absent from most of season four for maternity leave. Juliette was still frequently talked about so her return was heart-warming.

So perhaps the show is set to follow in the same footsteps as season four? It was previously reported by TV Guide that season five will see Rayna crossing paths with a wealthy app developer who wants to introduce her music to a new generation.

It will be sad Britton is leaving the show, or if she won’t appear in every single episode, but her work should still be celebrated. Let’s hope Rayna gets the happy ending she so greatly deserves.

Here’s her five best songs on the show.

No One Will Ever Love You (with Chip Esten)

Ball and Chain (with Will Chase)

This Time (with Chip Esten)

Wrong Song (with Hayden Panettiere)

Hold On To Me