Coronation Street actor Jack Carroll has publicly addressed his unexpected departure from the long-running ITV soap, confirming his character Bobby Crawford has left Weatherfield for good.
The Unexpected Exit
The 27-year-old performer, who joined the Coronation Street cast in 2023 as Bobby Crawford, revealed his final scenes actually aired back in May without any official announcement from programme bosses. Viewers only discovered the character's permanent departure during a June conversation between Lauren Bolton and Betsy Swain, where it was revealed Bobby wouldn't be returning from his holiday.
Jack Carroll, who first found fame as a teenage comedian on Britain's Got Talent's seventh series in 2013, where he finished as runner-up, told The Sun he was actually pleased with the low-key nature of his exit. "That seems to be the trend in the way that they do exits now," he explained, noting it "gives everybody a bit more flexibility if you need to arrange some pieces of the jigsaw in the future."
Looking to the Future
The Bradford-born actor, who has cerebral palsy, expressed particular gratitude that his character wasn't killed off, leaving the door open for a potential return. "I'm grateful that any future decisions haven't been taken off the table completely," Carroll stated, though he emphasised that "the circumstances would have to be right" for him to reprise the role of Bobby Crawford.
Carroll's character was the half-nephew of Carla Connor and son of convicted murderer Rob Donovan. He first appeared on the cobbles in 2023 when Bobby came to stay with his aunt Carla. During his 18-month stint on the show, the writers incorporated elements of Carroll's real-life stand-up comedy persona into his early scenes.
Returning to Comedy Roots
Now leaving Weatherfield behind, Carroll says he's excited to return to his comedy roots and use his platform to positively represent disability in the entertainment industry. "That's probably a good primer on what to expect as well, if you come and see me on the tour," he remarked about his Coronation Street experience.
While a source told The Mirror in June that "the time has come" for Bobby to bid farewell and that "actor Jack enjoyed his time on the soap, but it's time to move on," Carroll himself maintains a positive outlook about his sudden departure and future prospects both in comedy and potentially on the cobbles again someday.
