When does Kelly leave Coronation Street? Millie Gibson exit explained

All you need to know ahead of the character’s imminent departure.

By Laura Denby

Published: Thursday, 08 September 2022 at 12:00 am

It has been confirmed that Coronation Street star Millie Gibson is leaving her role as Kelly Neelan after three years.

And it seems there’s not long left of the character on our screens, as the reveal of a huge bombshell coincides with Kelly’s exit scenes. But when is she leaving, and why?

With so much going on in the ITV soap, which has promised an action-packed autumn, RadioTimes.com has everything you need to know ahead of Kelly’s farewell.

So, read on for all the answers to those burning questions.

Kelly Neelan’s final Coronation Street storyline explained

""
Kelly and Gary will have a showdown.
ITV

Kelly was introduced as the teenage daughter of Rick Neelan (Greg Wood), who was making Gary Windass’s (Mikey North) life difficult back in 2019. Rick was a nasty piece of work, and Gary ended up killing him in self-defence and burying his body in the woods. Kelly is currently unaware of this crucial fact, but we know this is all set to change soon.

A tough year had already seen Kelly attempt to take her own life while serving time in a Young Offenders Unit over the murder of Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni), which she witnessed but did not take part in. Upon her eventual release, Gary and his wife Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) took Kelly in and now think of her as part of their family.

But Gary’s betrayal runs deep, as he allowed Kelly’s mum Laura (Kel Allen) to take the blame for Rick’s murder just before her death from cancer. Now, just as Kelly is looking towards a happy future after becoming engaged to Aadi Alahan (Adam Hussain), her hopes will be destroyed as she hears Gary’s killer secret. This will lead to a perilous rooftop showdown…

When is Kelly Neelan leaving Coronation Street?

""
Millie Gibson as Kelly Neelan in Coronation Street.
ITV/Danielle Baguley

Coronation Street’s Executive Producer Iain MacLeod recently teased the details of Kelly’s exit, which is set to air later this month. So, her departure is much sooner than you might have thought.

“The fact that Millie [Gibson] is going and therefore Kelly is going allows us to go really big and do something incredibly high stakes, to maybe have some characters step on all these landmines that we’ve buried for them over the years and have them all go off in one cataclysmic explosion,” he said.

“So we’ve really thrown everything at this week to try and bring out all the big secrets, lies, reveals, schemes; it’s literally got very high stakes jeopardy.”

MacLeod added that star Gibson’s choice to leave inspired Gary’s comeuppance: “At times, we’ve toyed with blowing it all up and revealing the full secret to everybody and always just fall shy of that slightly; but finding ourselves in a position where we have to exit Kelly just means it’s kind of now or never, so we’ve gone for broke with it and done something I think really special.”

Will Kelly Neelan be killed off in Coronation Street?

""
Could Kelly die from a fall off that roof?
ITV

Well, let’s hope not! But with a roof involved, there’s a high risk of Kelly or Gary falling from a great height – or even being pushed! Could Kelly end up trying to kill Gary by pushing him off the roof, or might she end up toppling off the building herself? Gary is fiercely protective of Kelly, but would he allow her to die to protect his secret?

Perhaps the roof setting could be a red herring for the fate of these characters. Could Kelly be killed off after this particular altercation? What if Gary is the intended victim and Kelly ends up as an accidental target?

Of course, there’s still the happier alternative that Kelly will make her exit with her life still intact. But if she does, will she ensure that Gary pays the price for murder one way or another? Keep an eye on all the latest news in the coming weeks to find out what happens next!

Read more:

Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.