Coronation Street in crisis: How ITV soap nosedived with awards snubs, dwindling ratings, budget cuts and a revolving door of bosses - so is Sean Wilson's axe the final nail in the coffin?

Coronation Street's future has been thrown into turmoil with the news that Sean Wilson has suddenly exited the soap, just weeks after his much-publicised return as part of Gail Platt's exit. Sean Wilson's mysterious exit The Sun first reported on Friday that Sean Wilson had left Corrie, with sources revealing that he had actually left two weeks earlier, with bosses barred from discussing the matter Actress Helen Worth had announced she would be leaving the soap this Christmas, and in the wake of Sean's sudden exit, bosses have been forced to rewrite her exit Last month, Corrie bosses announced that fan-favourite character Martin Platt would be heading back to the cobbles this autumn for a huge new storyline, paving the way for Gail's exit at the end of the year. Budget Cuts While Helen made the decision herself to leave Corrie, her exit will save the soap £250,000 a year, with bosses currently pushing drastic cost-cutting measures ITV soap stars earn a fee per episode. But that means salaries can vary wildly, with veteran stars like Helen taking home £2,000 per episode, while younger cast members are thought to be on £400 The highest paid actors on Corrie are thought to include Jack P Shepherd who plays the role of Gail's son, David Platt Younger cast members are thought to be on £400 per episode with contracts of a minimum of 30 episodes per year While Helen made the decision herself to leave Corrie, her exit will save the soap £250,000 a year, with bosses currently pushing drastic cost-cutting measures. 'Repulsive' storylines In April, Corrie faced huge backlash from viewers, when it was revealed bosses had penned a grim plot which saw Toyah Battersby's character have a secret baby after being raped in 2001 In April, Coronation Street faced huge backlash from viewers, when it was revealed bosses had penned a grim plot which saw Toyah Battersby's character have a secret baby after being raped in 2001.