ITV Coronation Street star confirms exit and is 'definitely not going back' after eight years

A Coronation Street star has revealed their departure from the iconic ITV soap, with a firm "definitely not coming back" statement. Christopher Harper, who became a household name for his portrayal of the villainous Nathan Curtis, has confirmed his exit. He first graced the screen in 2016, quickly becoming one of Weatherfield's most notorious antagonists.

Nathan was initially introduced as Shona's (played by Julia Goulding) former flame and soon struck up a relationship with Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon), leading to a disturbing storyline where he groomed and abused her, even coercing her into sleeping with other men. The plot reached a peak when Bethany courageously disclosed her abuse, resulting in Nathan's imprisonment.

Despite being locked up, Nathan made a comeback in recent months, entangled in the mystery of Lauren Bolton's (Cait Fitton) disappearance. With Lauren vanishing earlier this year, Nathan swiftly became a key suspect.

In a shocking twist, corrupt officer Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) framed Nathan for Lauren's murder by planting her DNA evidence. Consequently, Nathan found himself once again incarcerated, reports the Express.

Meanwhile, the real perpetrator, Joel Deering (Calum Lill), seemed to have evaded justice until recent developments in the storyline.

But now, it appears that Nathan's dark chapter on the cobbles is closing for good, as Chris Harper has stated he won't be returning to the role. In an interview with Digital Spy, he remarked: "Coronation Street is not a place for the journey of a paedophile to recover and become loved."

Speaking of his character Nathan's potential return to the soap, the actor insisted: "That's not a thing you should be doing on a soap. And so, I was absolutely adamant that if Nathan ever came back, then he mustn't be forgiven. But I did also know that it was about time he would be coming out [of prison], so I did wonder."

Confirming his departure from the show, Chris went on to say: "I'm definitely not going back, but never say never, I suppose! I genuinely do not want him to have a forgiveness arc. So, I don't know why he'd keep coming back to Weatherfield."

Chris made it clear that the focus should be on Bethany Platt by saying, "It's Bethany's journey, not his. It's got to be about Bethany's life, and I think he's done his time."

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX