A Beloved Soap Star Confirms a Sudden, Major Exit For an Iconic New Role

After seven years on the cobbles, breakout star Mollie Gallagher has left her role as Nina Lucas on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Now the beloved actress has opened up about why she left, her future projects, and what’s to come as she takes on her exciting new project.

Gallagher was recently interviewed by Digital Spy journalist Daniel Kilkelly, where she discussed her exit and her new stage role in the production of The Silence of the Lambs, as lead detective, Clarice Starling.

The actress shared that after seven years in the role, she was looking and open to new opportunities, so when she got the chance to be part of the upcoming stage production of The Silence of the Lambs, she jumped at the opportunity. “It was a really hard situation,” she revealed. “As an actor, you do want to challenge yourself by trying new things. This new job is completely different because it’s theatre.”

She acknowledged that, in an ideal world, if everything had worked out, she would have loved to remain on Corrie and continue acting on stage, “but that just wouldn’t work!” she added.

Gallagher went on to reveal she doesn’t necessarily see this as the ‘end’ for her character. “Nina is such a unique character, and I think there’s so much to do with her. That’s why I don’t think her story is over.”

For her portrayal of Nina, Gallagher took home the Inside Soap Awards for Best Newcomer in 2020, and in 2021, at the 26th National Television Awards, the award for Serial Drama Performance, as well as Best Partnership (with David Neilson) at the 2021 Inside Soap Awards.

Gallagher has already filmed her final scenes as Nina, which are expected to air over the coming weeks.

In addition to her role on Corrie, Gallagher has also competed on Dancing on Ice in 2023, and appeared in the 2025 short film, I Like This Boy.

Coronation Street airs weekdays on ITV in the U.K. and streams on BritBox in the United States and globally on YouTube.