Coronation Street star Amy James-Kelly quits Maddie Heath role

"I made the decision to leave because I'm young and adventurous and I want to gain more experience and explore and improve my craft. Acting is my passion and I'm excited to see where it takes me," the actress said in a statement today.

Maddie made her debut over December 2013 when she arrived as a homeless teenager who subsequently began a relationship with Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent). Her current storyline has seen her make tentative steps towards an unlikely friendship with busybody newsagent Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) despite the pair of them previously being at loggerheads.

Of her Coronation Street experience, Amy James-Kelly added: “I’ve had the most amazing 18 months and I'll be sad to leave my Corrie family. It's been like a second home, but like all young people, you eventually fly the nest. I can't thank everyone enough who made this not only possible, but fantastic."

Stuart Blackburn, the soap's producer, said today of how Maddie will exit Weatherfield: "Amy is a talented young actress and we wish her every success for the future. We are currently working on an exit storyline for Maddie which will have repercussions for Sophie and other Weatherfield residents.”

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