Coronation Street star Bill Fellows has revealed he could have played another character as he discussed his exit for the firs time. It was previously rumoured the actor would be leaving the ITV soap after three years

of playing Stu Carpenter.

His first appearance came amid the huge hate crime storyline in which Nina Lucas was targetted by Corey Brent and his gang of mates alongside her boyfriend Seb Franklin, who was shockingly killed in a brutal

beating.

And it was later, in October 2021, that Stu inadvertently saved the vital piece of evidence which showed that Corey was guilty of the murder of Seb months earlier in May that year.

After serving time for Seb’s death, Kelly Neelan encountered Stu on the streets. Once she settled back in Weatherfield, she came to his aid, helping him find a home and a job in the area.

However, since losing his granddaughter Eliza, who moved to Germany to live with her father, Stu’s life in Weatherfield has changed significantly. He has now shifted his attention to trying to help Mason Radcliffe, a bully at Weatherfield High, turn his life around.

In the episode of Corrie airing on Monday night (October 14), Stu makes the difficult decision to say an emotional goodbye to Weatherfield. After realizing that his efforts to mentor the troubled teen Mason are jeopardizing Yasmeen Nazir and her business, Stu informs her that he has chosen to move permanently to Germany to live with his granddaughter.

In a recent interview, Bill Fellows shared his initial expectations about his time on the show, stating, “When I first started, it was a six-month contract, but with options, it ended up extending to over three years.”

“At the time, it did cause me a bit of panic since I have my house down south, and three years felt like a long commitment. I’m used to playing a variety of characters, so it seemed daunting to stick with one for that long.

“But I shouldn’t have worried. When I finally got the chance to portray a character for an extended period, it turned out to be a fantastic experience. I wasn’t tied down, and those three years went by in a flash. It feels like the right time to leave, and I always knew I would depart at the end of the three years.”

Although Bill had considered joining a soap before, he revealed that he nearly played a different character in Corrie. “I auditioned for the role of Roy’s brother, Nina’s dad, before landing the role of Stu,” he explained. “I wasn’t right for that part, but it was only for three weeks, so it feels like fate that I ended up with this role and stayed for three years. I’m incredibly proud to have been part of Corrie.”

“It is a massive part of all our lives, especially at my age, 67, it has been around all my life. All my family watched it so it was really exciting to be a bit of history. I was on set recently and I was just looking around at all the photos of everybody and I just thought, ‘Wow, I have been a part of this’, the fact that I have worked alongside William Roache and who is a truly lovely man it has been wonderful.”