Corrie star Katy Cavanagh has announced she will bid farewell to Weatherfield after seven years on the Street.
The 41-year-old, who plays hopeless romantic Julie Carp, will appear on screens until late spring before leaving to ‘pursue other projects’.
Julie first appeared on the cobbles in April 2008 when she visited Kirk in the Rovers after a holiday romance in Cyprus.
Katy said: “I have decided it’s time to take a break from the cobbles and pursue other projects and opportunities.
“I have loved every minute in the world of Julie Carp and I’m not ruling out a return to the Street in the future. However I am looking forward to a new challenge and a pair of flat shoes.”
The Bolton actress’ relationship with Dev Alahan will begin to unravel on his return from India – forcing Julie to re-think her life and decide to move away.
Julie has become one of the soaps best love characters over the years but hasn’t had much luck in love herself.
After being dumped by Kirk shortly after arriving on the street she had a drunken snog with builder Jason Grimshaw.
But things went no further when it was revealed that Eileen’s father was also Julie’s, and Jason was in fact her nephew.
The following year she met Brian Packham, head teacher of Bessie Street School, but the pair’s first date was interrupted by his wife Margaret’s arrival.
Brian had led Julie to believe he was divorced, so the feisty and funny blonde sent him packing.
Their paths crossed again in 2011 and they fell head over heels shortly after Brian was divorced.
Their biggest trial came in 2012 when Julie believed she was pregnant but was actually found to have a growth on her ovaries.
She had a hysterectomy and decided to look into fostering children but Brian wasn’t keen, and accepted a job in Wales.
When Julie found out, she refused to go with him and furiously banished him from her life.
In 2014, the factory worker took a shine to Dev Alahan but when he wasn’t forthcoming, she went on a date with his friend Dominic Saul.
She was touched when Dev told lies about her to Dominic in a bid to scupper any romance, and fell into Dev’s arms.
Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: “Julie Carp has become a warm, wonderful and eccentric character able to raise a laugh and a tear in the same scene.
“Everyone at Corrie wishes Katy all the very best and hopefully as far as Julie is concerned, the cobbles haven’t seen the last of her.”
Image courtesy of ITV, with thanks.
