Coronation Street newcomer Joe Layton is reportedly set to leave the ITV soap just a few months after he arrived on the cobbles as neighbour from hell Mick Michaelis
Coronation Street’s Joe Layton is reportedly leaving Weatherfield just months after he arrived.
The actor joined the popular ITV soap in February, playing new character Mick Michaelis. Mick and his wife Lou (Farrel Hegarty) turned up as a couple of bad neighbours who were set to shake things up on Mawdsley Street with their behaviour.
They haven’t had the warmest welcome from viewers, with some posting messages on X saying they need to go. And now it seems those fans could be getting their wish, with The Sun reporting that Mick is off anyway.
It seems actor Joe had only signed a fixed date contract and that his stint on the cobbles is going to be “short and sweet”. Joe is said to be shooting his final scenes in April, and Mick will then reportedly leave in what a source has promised will be “great telly”.
“There was a lot excitement when Joe joined the soap as Mick, but his time is going to very short and sweet,” the insider claimed. “He’s already caused a real stir and his exit over the summer is going to be great telly. He only ever signed a fixed date contract, but fans were really hoping he would be kept on.”
Mick and Lou arrived in Weatherfield separately in recent weeks, with show bosses warning that they would be trouble. The soap’s producer Kate Brooks said they were “chaotic and loud” and that they would “bulldoze” their way into town and cause “absolute carnage”.
“Their relationship is volatile, to say the least, but at the heart of it lies a fierce sense of family loyalty, and woe betide anyone who tries to come between them,” Brooks went on. “Although they’re the life and soul of any party, they’re equally not everyone’s cup of tea, and they soon find themselves at the root of some explosive drama.”
The couple annoyed some viewers, with one irked fan posting a message on X calling them “odious” and another agreeing: “Lou and Mick the couple from Hell that the show didn’t need.”
“I wonder what bright spark thought Mick & Lou were characters we needed,” asked one baffled fan. “Can’t see me ever liking Mick and Lou,” commented another viewer.
“Corrie they’re awful!” said somebody else. “They need to go & quick!!! He’s like a Pound Shop Jack Duckworth with none of the charm! Mick & Lou neighbours from Hell!!”
However, other viewers were quite taken with the newcomers. Some said they provided some more light-hearted entertainment, and another insisted they made “good undesirables”.
“I actually like Mick and Lou, they actually seem very real life to me,” someone else on the platform remarked. “They remind me of a few couples lol.”
Another said they “really like Mick and Lou”. “They’ve brought a kind of chaos to the street Les and Abysmal Janice brought years ago,” the fan explained.
Others thought there could be more to come from the pair. “I think there’s more to Mick and Lou,” suggested one.
Daily Star has contacted Coronation Street for comment.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
