Asked if she will enjoy her break from playing Carla Connor in the show, Alison replies:
"Yeah – it’s not actually a break, I’m actually leaving.
Because they’re leaving the door open, I think people originally called it a break – and people are asking ‘when are you coming back?’ and I’m like ‘I’m not’. I’m looking forward to going back to doing different things and being versatile. I was meant to give myself four years at the most and I’ve done an amazing ten years but it’s knackering. I need to creatively be a few other people now and see my daughter a bit more."
Well, that's a turn up for the books. In July of last year after her break from the show as announced, she said "I'd definitely like to return".
See the list of who's leaving, joining and taking a break from Corrie.
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Geez that really sucks! Alison leaving??? Aw she is one of my favourite people on the show. Now for sure she's not gonna marry Nick there are so few really great people on the show and Carla is one of them along with Roy.this is not good news.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll miss her and the presence of this strong woman on Corrie. I totally get her wanting to spend some real time with her young daughter and avoid repeating storylines. Having read the interview, she does say that they have left the door open if she ever wants to comes back. But it's a big If, and I think Alison probably wants to make a clean break in order to truly get on with her life. I wish her the best. She's left some expensive boots to fill for any new female (or trans?) characters to come along.
ReplyDeleteNoooooooooo!!!!
ReplyDeleteTen years is a long time in an acting career. Another fear must be that if she leaves it any later, she will be too old for many parts. I read that Tony Booth told Pat Phoenix that she'd left Corrie too late to start a new direction. Alison King is excellent and she's bound to have lots of offers. As for Carla, she was beginning to get tiresome. Isn't it about time the factory was sold and the building turned into a distribution centre? Same staff, same script probably!
ReplyDeleteTen years is a long time in an acting career. Another fear must be that if she leaves it any later, she will be too old for many parts. I read that Tony Booth told Pat Phoenix that she'd left Corrie too late to start a new direction. Alison King is excellent and she's bound to have lots of offers. As for Carla, she was beginning to get tiresome. Isn't it about time the factory was sold and the building turned into a distribution centre? Same staff, same script probably!
ReplyDeleteThis is really too bad. She is a good actress and has made the most of pretty crappy storylines at times.It will be hard to fill the void of a strong woman on the show. I think they really need to get back to strong character roles and interaction rather then the trendy, soapy stories we've been getting.
ReplyDeleteThis new producer is going to have her hands full, that's for sure. Blackburn really left his mark on this show that is nothing to applaud.
I think Allison is making the right decision for her career. As for Carla - in my humble opinion what else can the writers do with her? Like another poster wisely suggested get rid of Underworld and put a different type of business in there.
ReplyDeleteI will miss her but good luck to Alison King. She is very talented and should do well.
ReplyDeleteThe door is still open for Sarah Lancaster, Suranne Jones and Katherine Kelly to return too ...
ReplyDeleteOh, come ON!
ReplyDeleteAll the good people are leaving or have left. Now Alison King??
This is seriously very close to a deal breaker for me so far as continuing to watch the show goes.
Aww! Not her too!
ReplyDeleteShe's one of the best they have!!
C in Canada
Sorry to hear this, but they've really gone as far as they can with Carla...oh well....next.
ReplyDeleteI wish her well. They are running out of stories for Carla and I think the actress is picking a good time to move on. May she have success like Katherine Kelly!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone kept record of how well established actors that leave Corrie do after the fact?? To my mind this is still the beginning of the end. I pinned my hopes on the new producer starting this year, but I have also read many posts on how she has knackered Emmerdale - so what hope do we have?? As much as everybody knocked Phil Collins, maybe we really didn't realize how good we had it. I just wish somebody would bring Corrie back to the best of the serial dramas - keep the actors happy, let them play the characters as they have developed them over the years - listen to the actors and your viewers and stop trying to push ridiculous storylines on us. It just won't work until you do.
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! LOCE CARLA 😢😢!!!
ReplyDeleteI knew ages ago that she wouldn't be coming back, why would she?
ReplyDeleteWOW....I am shocked! I did not see that coming.....that is VERY disappointing news....she was indeed one of my favourite actors....
ReplyDeleteGiven the endlessly repetitive addiction storylines the actress has been saddled with, I am not surprised she is leaving.
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping she'd come back in six months having finally beaten her demons and then go from strength to strength.
Good luck to Alison King though in her new ventures.
@ Rapunzel - She can probably see how well those three have done since leaving the street whilst in the last few years she's been repeating the most ridiculous storylines. There's no wonder she's opting out.
ReplyDeleteOh what might have been. It's a shame that they couldn't find something meaty for her. The past few years have been careening from one disaster to another. Nothing long term or over arching. What if she had actually been allowed to mentor Alya, develop her, lose her to a competitor, grow into an Aud and Claud friendship? What if, childless and unable to conceive, she got a surprise in the form of custody of Robs teenaged love child? What if she married stable lovely Nick, and it came out that he was bothered by how much more she earned? All character driven, not action drivel, you work at it and get rewarded with rich characters with complex relationships. Allison King does that very well already with Roy. Oh well, we were very lucky to have her for so long. Will be watching whatever she does next.
ReplyDeleteSome of them leave with the delusion that they are actually great actors and the doors will flood open with offers after they leave the street only to have reality hit them square in the face when nothing happens..they are relegated to bit parts in other shows or stage productions. That's show business I guess.
ReplyDeleteIf you understood anything about show business, you'd realise that most actors prize stage roles highly, and certainly don't look on them as second-best. That's why so many are taking sabbaticals. Few actors enter the profession to play the same rôle for ten years (or a lifetime!) Acting, for most, is about stretching yourself and playing beyond your comfort zone. The security of a long-term soap contract is certainly an allurement, but I think for many of them, they reach the point when they realise they've not done what they set out to do with their professional lives and quit before it's too late. A variety of 'bit parts' could be just what many are seeking, to try out a wide variety of characterisations. As viewers, we want our favourites to stay indefinitely, and can fall into a trap of almost resenting their decision to move on, but we have to remind ourselves that their careers are their own. They are under no obligation to us.
DeleteTotally agree with Cobblestone. Generally speaking the better actors want to do a variety of work and if someone is not on television every week doesn't mean their career is over. It appears Alison King has made a considered decision and good luck to her. Carla as a character has really run her course, what more can she go through! I remember people predicting the end of the street when Elsie, Hilda, Bet and Vera and Jack left the series but it continues. A new producer always means a shake up and it is currently needed - so let's look forward to it!
ReplyDeleteGutted.
ReplyDelete'Carla' will be a sad loss to the Street, for sure. But, with understanding, I sincerely wish Alison a bright and happy future, and a possible return somewhere in the future.
ReplyDelete'Carla' was a strong woman who could hold her own against the far too many 'bitches' the Street has become home to of late. It's sad to have to say good-bye to some of the people on the Street, but the ones like Tracey would be cause to celebrate.
Alison, may the limelight always shine on you!
Good riddance Carla.never really did liked you and yo had few redeeming qualities..
ReplyDeleteAlison was most of the reason why I watched the show. That is really sad to hear. All the best for the future Alison! Your biggest fan from Newfoundland Canada.
ReplyDelete