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Sunday 5 June 2011

Bill Webster axed from Coronation Street

Peter Armitage, who plays Bill Webster in Corrie, has been axed, says the News of the World. The paper says that Corrie producer Phil Collinson sees no future for the character and he's getting rid of him.

A Corrie source told the paper: "Collinson told him that there was no future for him playing Kevin Webster's dad and that the day's scenes would be his last. Peter returned to the green room to tell cast and crew, `Well that's me... I'm finished.' And when he returned next day to clear his dressing room he found his name plate had already been removed from the door. The cast and crew were shocked as Peter is a popular guy. But that was it."

I know that Bill hasn't been much used in Corrie for a while, but he's always been a good, solid character that I'll be sad to see leave.  And speaking of good, solid characters, why isn't Gail's dad, Ted Page, returning? 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

That stinks! Two of the nicest people - Bill and Auntie Pam really brightened up the street.

So what's the object? Getting rid of ALL normal people?

~JB in Canada

abbyk said...

No future indeed. Why is that, because he isn't psychotic, a felon, gay, ??? He should be having a fabulous retirement, dating Pam and building stage sets for Simon's play and the like.

With nearly friendless Kevin going through a divorce and a fractured business partnership, there should be a role for his dad. Sophie is falling apart; having a stable adult relative in her life would help and be ever so normal. He's not a central character, but he should be a part of a central family

Ken is the wise elder, Bill is the streetwise elder. We were better off with both. Oy.

Anonymous said...

well i think phil should be careful getting rid of all the good actors we dont need a show full of young people most of them cant even act .take the guy who does the part of nick gails son he is just a waste of space ,he is lousy actor and not a nice person we will end up like all the american soaps gone . i would hate to louse corrie to so leave good enough alone please . dolly in canada

Adam said...

i'm sad they are getting rid of him as he provided another angle for Kevin/Sally. It would have been good if he couldve been a friend for Dennis. I always wonder when they say there is nowhere for a character to go - they have a big team of creative people there and it does beggar belief slightly!

Frosty the Snowman said...

Its a shame about Bill but he was overshadowed by Owen and what about Auntie Pam? I presume this great actress is to be sacked also? What was the point of bringing the character back, just to do nothing with him and then get rid of him? Surely his presence would be felt with Kevin's accident and the lottery win and the whole thing with Sally, but not a peep, meanwhile the pathetic aunties are brought back and The Alahans are still getting their contracts renewed.............. Mad.

Steve said...

Agreed that it is a shame. They could keep him as a dependable every now and again and bring in new characters as well. What about the block of flats Victoria Court? Dev owns one there and it's rented out and that is all we have to do with that area. Plenty of scope. Who lives in the house next to Ashley's old shop? Who is coming into that shop? And then we have the whole Tilsly storyline - all 3 are a waste of space, I have to fast forward through David Pratt's scenes - never liked him and the new Nick, what is it the third? and the Bistro - terrible story line - as much use as the joinery that you never saw inside and the other places under the arches. And Gail is so stuck in a rut it is laughable - she has been for the last 20 years.

Annie said...

This sounds like nonsense.

Actors are not sacked on the spot unless they have committed some kind gross misconduct. As is the correct form, he will have been told weeks before that his character is being written out. I'm not surprised, honestly, because he has been given nothing to do.

But, to me, the News of the World is just doing another of their 20% truth , 80% lies stories.

Tvor said...

I agree Annie, Very likely he'd been told weeks ago and this is an exaggeration. He's not been given anything to do for yonks and has been even less than a spare part. Pam hasn't been in it since Molly Died and I always assumed we'd seen the last of her then anyway.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Pam is off somewhere doing the sandwich thingie in Blackpool..who cares. Gail I am assuming has been abducted by aliens who let her out to walk through her front door to be insulted by David and Kylie and then she disappears again. Bill was sort of a non-descript character and we haven't seen him for weeks anyway. He was relegated to the 'old' character bin and he got binned himself. Maybe they should have turned him into a one-armed transvestite axe murderer so he could've stayed on the cobbles.

cathy said...

I agree with abbyk .. there is always room for a Dad and Grand Dad to support and advice his family , It was nice to see a "Normal" Gentle Sole in the Street instead of a screaming one pleaser bring him back ( from his holiday)

Dolly Tubb said...

Given some of the plot-led stories recently I find it hard to believe that there is 'nowhere for the character to go'. Suggests a lack of imagination on the production team's part. After all, there are enough new people coming in so there must be enough story lines to go round.

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