Former Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank has opened up about his departure from the iconic soap, revealing he "doesn't necessarily miss" the job itself just weeks after his character was dramatically killed off.
An Abrupt End for Billy Mayhew
The actor, 46, portrayed the kind-hearted vicar Billy Mayhew for over a decade before his exit in a special crossover episode with Emmerdale earlier this month. In the dramatic scenes, Billy died in a minibus crash after the villainous Theo Silverton deliberately left him trapped to perish in the explosion.
Reflecting on his 11-year tenure, Brocklebank expressed gratitude rather than regret. "Billy is one of possibly thousands of characters that have graced those beautiful cobbles," he said on the Conversation Street podcast. "I was lucky enough to spend 11 years there, which is a lot more than some characters are there for."
Missing the People, Not the Pages
While he holds great affection for the show, the actor clarified that it's the camaraderie he misses, not the relentless workload. "It's the people you miss. I don't necessarily miss the work," he admitted. He contrasted the constant flow of 30 scenes a week on Coronation Street with his subsequent theatre role in Young Frankenstein at the Liverpool Playhouse, where learning one script was a welcome change.
"What was lovely about doing theatre straight afterwards was once I'd learned the script, I didn't have any more lines to learn," he explained. The shared life experiences with the cast and crew over more than a decade are what he values most.
Planning for Life After the Cobbles
Brocklebank also detailed the practical conversation with producer Kate Brooks when he learned of his character's fate. His immediate concern was pinning down the filming schedule to plan his next job. "I told her 'Well, I need to know!' I had to start planning for what's next," he stated, highlighting the reality of being self-employed.
His planning paid off. He finished filming for Coronation Street at lunchtime on 18th November and began rehearsals for his new stage role just 45 minutes later. "I timed it well," he said, "but as a self-employed person, you need to know what's next because I've still got bills to pay."
Coronation Street continues to air Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
