Coronation Street fans are left in suspense as they fear Kirk Sutherland may be the next to depart from the Cobbles, following Beth Tinker's sudden exit. On Friday (August 30), after a 13-year stint, Beth bid farewell to Weatherfield, seemingly leaving her on-screen partner Kirk (Andy Whyment) behind. Beth's departure was triggered when she got entangled in shady business and lost her job at the factory.

The much-loved character found herself at odds with corrupt policeman Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) after uncovering his exploitation of her counterfeit T-shirt enterprise. In retaliation, Kit intoxicated his colleague Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) and coaxed him into revealing his illicit activities. He then used this information to intimidate Beth, warning that her son's career would be jeopardised if she ever exposed the video of him interacting with the fraudulent clothes dealer.

After attempting to extort £400 from Kit, he issued Beth a stern warning, leaving her no choice but to step aside for the sake of her son Craig. Adding to the emotional intensity of the exit, Kirk had proposed, offering Beth everything she desired and more. However, Beth chose to make a hasty exit and couldn't hold back the tears as she wept to her son Craig before heading off to Norfolk for a new job opportunity. As she got into a taxi, it was evident that she was upset that her Kirk hadn't come to see her off, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Will Kirk Follow Beth?

Coronation Street fans are speculating whether Kirk will follow Beth to Norfolk, sparking rumours of his potential departure from Weatherfield. Kirk first graced the cobbles in 2000 as Maria's brother and has been a staple character ever since. Fans on Reddit have been voicing their opinions, with one stating: "Does anybody find it contrived that Kirk didn't go with Beth? They were together for 10 years, I just don't buy Beth not letting him go with her."

Another chimed in, suggesting: "In reality they should have both moved to Norfolk." Questions about Kirk's role in the show were raised by another fan: "Does Kirk ever have actual storylines? He is always just kinda there", while someone else expressed affection for the character: "I like him too! I'd be sad if he was written off." Yet, there's hope among viewers for Kirk's future, as one fan remarked: "Kirk needs to move on and find someone better."

Lisa George's Exit From Coronation Street

Coronation Street star Lisa George has admitted tears in the soap were 'real' as she said goodbye to her co-star both on-screen and off. The actress took to social media to address the recent exit of Lisa George from the ITV soap.

Cherylee, who plays Weatherfield's Izzy Armstrong, was involved in waving off Lisa's character Beth Tinker when her final scenes aired last Friday (August 30). Just after Christmas, reports emerged that Lisa was set to leave the long-running show. The rumours have continued and it wasn't until she appeared on This Morning last week, days before her final scenes aired in the long-running show.

Beth was forced away from Weatherfield after getting on the wrong side of new copper Kit Green. He threatened to ruin her son Craig’s career by exposing the cover-up of Faye Windass and Emma Brooker's hit and run in 2021 to his bosses if Beth was to do anything with the video of his dodgy dealings with Sid. He then took his blackmail one step further after spotting Beth having a tearful conversation with Daniel Osbourne who he knows has become suspicious of his involvement with Nathan Curtis, his girlfriend Bethany Platt's former abuser. Later, Kit did give Beth some of the money she had demanded to keep quiet, however, he also told her she now had to leave Weatherfield if she wanted to protect Craig as he didn't trust she wouldn't grass him up.

She ended up turning down a proposal from her other half Kirk Sutherland before heading to join a new job at a factor in Norfolk. Leaving in a taxi with her loved ones standing by to wave her off. Among them was Cherylee's character Izzy but the soap star was also said to see her friend leave. Posting a smiling selfie of the pair taken on the Corrie set, she wrote on Instagram: "Going to miss you at work beyond words Mrs! Who’s going to laugh at me when I bump into the furniture in a scene and am blagging it well till you titter. You catch me and make me laugh so much."

She added: "Here’s to other adventures. Love you blooming loads and so grateful to #corrie to finding you as a friend. Adore you @lisageorgeactor." Lisa was quick to respond, writing: "Ditto my darling friend." But one Corrie fan was quick to point out: "I could tell the tears were real watching the episode on Friday," to which Cherylee confessed: "They really were!"

Lisa George's Future Plans

Coronation Street star Lisa George looked worlds away from life on the cobbles as she offered an update on her next role after her show exit. The actress is best known for playing Beth Tinker in the ITV soap but after 13 years on the famous street, the much-loved character was seen saying her goodbyes at the end of last month meaning also an exit from the cast for Lisa. Just after Christmas, reports emerged that Lisa was set to leave the long-running show. The rumours have continued and it wasn't until she appeared on This Morning last week, days before her final scenes aired on Friday (August 30).

Amid her exit, Lisa took to social media to share her love for the role she's held for more than a decade as well as the viewers for supporting her. Sharing some of her favourite snaps from other the years, she wrote on Instagram: "Tonight Beth says farewell to Coronation Street after 13 truly unforgettable years. Never did I think all those years ago that two episodes would turn into over a decade of my life on screen, but in the blink of an eye it’s passed like no time at all… I feel honoured to have been part of such an institution for so long… the world’s first and longest running soap! What a ride it’s been."

She added: "Over the years I’ve worked with the most incredible cast and crew members, who have made going to work every day such a special joy. Every single one of them shows such passion and dedication to their jobs, they’re the most hard working and talented team of creatives I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. It’s near impossible to summarise the experiences I’ve had playing Beth, so many moments of Weatherfield that I’ll cherish forever!"

She added: "Thank you to all of the fans for your unwavering love and support, to all of the cast and crew (past and present) for being like a family and to ITV for everything you’ve given me over the past 13 years. Although I’m leaving this chapter behind with tears in my eyes, I’m also looking forward to what the future holds and all of the other characters I’m yet to play… and I hope you’ll all come along with me as I embark on this next chapter. Here’s just a small snap shot of the past 13 years… Thank you all so much, Lisa xx."

Now, Lisa has shared a look at her next job as she's set to join panto this festive season. The soap star was far from Beth's 80s clobber as she donned a sparkling gown and tiara ahead of playing Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Wyvern Theatre & Swindon Arts Centre. Captioning the post, she wrote: "In my Fairy Godmother era… Link in bio for our fabulous festive panto Cinderella @wyverntheatre 7th December 2024 - 5th January 2025," before her fans and followers showed their support.

Lisa George's Exit and the 'Awful and Embarrassing' Storyline

CORONATION Street’s Lisa George has liked posts slamming the soap as ‘awful and embarrassing’ after quitting following 13 years. Just a week after her final scenes aired, Lisa, 51, was spotted interacting with a series of Instagram comments that criticised bosses' handling of her character's recent exit. The actress, who had played Beth Tinker since 2011, was seen engaging with several posts from fans expressing upset with the storyline that concluded her role.

One comment that Lisa liked read: "What an awful and embarrassing exit for such a wonderful character. She’d have never left Kirk and would have let him come with her! Why not let him go with her? Seriously, the writers for Emmerdale and Corrie (who are apparently the same?) need sacking. The storylines are god awful! Loved Beth. She deserved a better exit.”

Another mentioned, "It’s a shame that such a great actor was made to play such an awful character and given such rubbish storylines. I hope to see @lisageorgeactor in some future gritty roles. She’d be brilliant in a Netflix show… such as a Harlan Coben series. Good luck in all you do xxx.”

A third said: “You deserved a better send-off for being on the show that long. Good luck with everything Lisa. You’ll smash it.”

Fans have hailed George as ‘iconic’ for her engagement with these critical comments. One fan wrote, “So iconic for liking the comments about the bad exit storyline. The reactions from all characters were just wrong. Beth is full of fire, she wouldn’t fold so quickly. Kirk and Craig aren’t too smart but they are more emotionally driven and wouldn’t get over losing their partner/mum so quickly. Daniel is too intelligent to have let her go without figuring out why. I was hoping for a big 80s dramatic kinda exit like she goes on a tour bus or something. But still, great work Lisa. You will be missed.”

Lisa's social media activity follows the recent airing of her character's abrupt departure from Weatherfield. On-screen, Beth was coerced into leaving her life behind after being blackmailed by corrupt police officer Kit Green, who threatened to get her son, Craig Tinker, dismissed from the police force. The Sun previously reported in December that Lisa had decided to leave the show. She joins a roster of exiting stars, including soap icon Helen Worth, who is set to depart after nearly 50 years, and Bill Fellows, whose final scenes as Stu Carpenter have already been filmed.

Understandably, viewers were left wondering why she decided to step away from the cobbles. Lisa later admitted that she wants to take her chance to work in theatre before an eye condition she has potentially leaves her blind. While speaking to Rob Smith from ITV, she shared that she was diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) a year ago. This medical condition means that arteries supplying blood to the optic nerves are blocked. It can cause a sudden loss of vision for someone who suffers from the disorder.

Lisa currently is partially blind in one eye because of NAION, and only has peripheral vision in the other eye. In an emotional interview, Lisa asked: "What happens if I do go blind? I still want to explore as an actress and do lots of other things. It was the impetus for me to see what else is out there as I don't want to stop any of those opportunities coming to me." The actress developed NAION when she was helping chop down a tree and a rope hit her in the eye. She started losing vision in her other eye while in the middle of driving down a motorway.

Despite feeling certain about her decision to step away from Coronation Street to pursue new acting ventures while she still can, Lisa admitted that it still feels surreal that she is leaving the soap. She added: "Thirteen years is a long time, the thing I'm going to miss the most is the people and my friends. Everyone says it's like a family, but it is. You have such a laugh with the crew and everyone supports you. We're all on WhatsApp groups and if some one's done something good on of the shows everyone's texting saying well done I really that loved that. I don't know any other job where people have done that."

Other Departures from Coronation Street

Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap:

Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany. The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza's grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.

Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes. After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live. Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.

Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America. Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.

Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles. The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend. Simon's been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.

Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child. It looks likely she'll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.

Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end. Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday on ITV1 and ITVX