Coronation Street icon makes mysterious exit 27 years after first hitting soap screens

Coronation Street fans saw a long-standing character make a sudden exit from Weatherfield on Friday night, leaving their concerned family unable to get in touch.

The character was persuaded to take a break by the new antagonist, Rowan Cunliffe, and didn't even bid farewell to some of her relatives, causing annoyance. When an alarming twist occurred, her sibling and partner were unable to reach her, leading to fears she had gone missing.

Leanne Battersby had recently been drawn into Rowan's bogus wellness institute, encouraged to follow his advice to cope with her trauma. However, her family have been trying to alert her to Rowan's deceitful nature, only for Leanne to push them away, feeling isolated from her loved ones.

Despite their concerns, Leanne announced she was going on a retreat with the institute, as part of the soap's new cult storyline. The character left the street in the latest episode, with no clear indication of when she would return, 27 years after first appearing onscreen.

Her partner Nick Tilsley was left worried in her absence, especially when her stepson Simon Barlow collapsed after consuming alcohol. After vomiting in Tim Metcalfe's taxi, Simon fled, only to be found unconscious on a bench by Nick and Leanne's sister Toyah, reports the Mirror.

Nick and Toyah were desperate to locate Leanne and communicate with her, but their attempts were unsuccessful. They also tried to contact Rowan to pass on a message, but this too proved fruitless.

The characters were thrown into a state of panic, clueless about Leanne's whereabouts and unable to reach her. The question remains - is Leanne in danger and will she manage to get in touch with anyone?

In the upcoming week, it appears that Leanne continues to be missing, with Rowan declining to assist in locating or communicating with her. Nick is eager to bring Leanne back for Simon, but Rowan resists and instead sets his sights on Simon as a potential new recruit.

Will Simon see through Rowan's intentions, or will he also make a hasty departure from the show?

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