'Coronation Street' Star Claire King Fears Axe From New Soap Boss

'Coronation Street' actress Claire King has admitted she's concerned her character could be axed by the soap's new boss.

Kate Oates has taken over the role of executive producer on the ITV show, and is thought to be planning a cast shake-up to boost sliding viewing figures, leaving stars in doubt about their future.

Claire, who plays Erica Holroyd on the cobbles, is one of the actors questioning whether she will survive the cull.

Speaking to the Mirror, the former 'Emmerdale' actress admitted: "I don’t know if I will be safe. They always like to put their own stamp on things, I have been around the block a few times so I know how it works.

“It will be fine if she feels the character does not work. We are all self-employed and you adapt and change when things happen.”

Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster, recently claimed that cast were not worried about whether their characters will remain in the soap, claiming the reports were "all just paper talk".

She told Digital Spy: “We’ve got Kate coming in and the whole thing of, ‘She’s going to bring in a family and kill off this person and this person’s going and who’s getting the axe’, ­but it’s literally all just paper talk.

“We know Kate through events and through awards and she’s lovely and we’re all really excited for not just a fresh face to look at but fresh ideas.

Last week, Kate revealed that she was hoping to bring back some of the show's most loved characters as part of her grand plan, with names such as Curly Watts and Bet Lynch suspected to be in the frame.

She told the Daily Star: “I think ‘Corrie’ has a strong cast and also a strong history. And it’s nice to mix and match.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the writers are interested in doing and matching their ideas with mine.

“Often you find yourselves thinking from the same place. You think along similar lines. And I’m sure that’s true when it comes to bringing back popular characters.”

Catch up on all the latest 'Corrie' news on our dedicated page here.

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