Coronation Street star Jude Riordan has responded to fears that Sam Blakeman could be departing the soap. It comes ahead of a dark storyline focusing on Will Driscoll’s grooming at the hands of coach Megan Walsh, with Sam set to uncover the truth.

Jude, who has played Sam since 2020, raised worries about an impending exit after sharing some new actor headshots on Instagram.

However, responding to one follower who expressed worry about him leaving, Jude wrote: “Nope! Just look very different from last year’s headshots!”

This isn’t the first time that the actor has addressed the possibility of a departure, the star denying recast fears last December after posting a behind-the-scenes picture without Sam’s trademark glasses.

“I’m still Sam, it’s not a recast”, he wrote on Instagram.

Corrie producer Kate Brooks recently addressed Sam’s important role in the grooming storyline, sharing: “Sam is obviously semi-related to the pub family, and he potentially gets wind that something’s amiss.

“We will see the lengths that Megan will go to to manipulate Sam and to keep him quiet, and it will be massively detrimental to Sam’s wellbeing.”

Speaking further about the Driscoll family, she added: “Obviously, the ongoing story with Will and Megan is huge for them.

“We also know what Maggie is capable of now, especially when it comes to protecting her lads. She’s got this fierce loyalty and need to protect her kids and grandkids at all costs. So, we know that when eventually this awful secret is exposed, that it’s not going to go down well with Maggie.”