Coronation Street Producer Kate Oates Quits Following Backlash From Dark Storylines

It looks like the pressure has definitely gotten the best of this Coronation Street producer. New reports indicate that Kate Oates has quit her position from the long-running British soap following huge backlash because of the show’s dark storyline. Many fans and viewers have been complaining over recent episodes that have depicted Billy Mayhew’s drug addictions, David Platt’s sexual assaults and of course, Pat Phelan’s multiple murders.

For fans, they’ve made it clear that enough is enough. Apparently, Kate Oates has gotten the message as she is now resigning from her position on the soap. They believe that the show has gotten too dark and as a result, viewers are tuning out rather than in.

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The move comes as a shock as the Coronation Street producer claimed that she would be sticking around until at least 2019. Kate told Britain’s The Sun in a statement, “I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity and all it has given me, but I’m also excited to try something new.”

Kate will be replaced by Iain MacLeod, who currently works on rival soap Emmerdale. He will take over beginning in June.

As far as Kate, she will be next working on the police series Bancroft on ITV. One source close to the situation said, “It was always a matter of when, not if, with Kate going, and now it’s been confirmed she’s leaving. The storylines she worked on, while rating successes, were very divisive among viewers and the cast and crew. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what the future on the soap looks like now.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights on the ITV network and is available on Britbox in the United States. Drop us a line with your thoughts in our comments section below. Also, don’t forget to check back with Celebrating The Soaps for all the latest news, updates and spoilers on Coronation Street and all of your favorite British soaps right here!

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