Has Norris now left Coronation Street for good?

Norris appeared touched and - it has be said - slightly scared by Mary's musical tribute, admitting to fiancée Freda that he wouldn't miss the "caterwauling" now that the two of them have opted to leave Weatherfield for a new life together in Edinburgh. But does Norris's taxi ride out of town mean that Mary (and us) have seen the last of Corrie's resident nosey parker?

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Will Norris return to Coronation Street?

Back in April of this year, show boss Iain MacLeod addressed the future of both Norris and absent stalwart Emily Bishop, following the revelation that their house is being sold to new family the Baileys, who move in to number 3 next week.

Thankfully, actor Malcolm Hebden's brief return this spring following his recovery from a heart attack will be followed by more scenes at some point in the future. "Norris is not leaving the show, 100%," said MacLeod. "We just thought that, given the circumstances we find ourselves in, it made sense to put a family in number three now. But it's certainly not the end of Norris."

As for Emily, Corrie producer MacLeod revealed that the sale of her home does not equate to her permanent departure: "We are in talks fairly regularly with Eileen [Derbyshire], but at the moment, there are no plans for her to return. Again, the door is certainly not closed there. But in Norris's case, the hope on my part, and I think on Malcolm's, is that we can bring him back in for good at some point."

What happens next at No 3 Coronation Street?

Next week's episodes of Corrie see the Baileys move on to the Street and quickly clash with next-door neighbours the Barlows. The first big storyline for mum Aggie, dad Ed and grown-up sons Michael and James is expected to centre on 19-year-old football prodigy James's coming out journey and tackles homophobia in the sporting industry.

Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.