Coronation Street fans were shocked when it was announced earlier this month that Channique Sterling-Brown would be stepping away from the ITV soap after playing Dee-Dee Bailey for three years. Now she’s explained when she made that decision, and why.
Since joining the soap in 2022, Dee-Dee has been at the centre of some major storylines, including an important one highlighting racial injustice in maternity care, her relationship with the evil Joel Deering and her current relationship with mysterious newcomer Olllie.
With her final scenes set to air in the coming weeks, Sterling-Brown has explained why she decided to move on.
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“I made the decision in spring, and it wasn’t a rash decision,” she told Digital Spy and other media. “I really took a couple of months from being offered my next year contract to actually even respond. I felt really torn, but I really just had the sense that it just felt like the time.
“I feel like I’ve been so privileged, and I’ve got to tell some great stories, and it’s been so wonderful. And obviously I’m very led by my faith as well. So I just really took my time over it and prayed into it.
“I found a real sense that I had done what I’d come to do, if that makes sense, not that I ever knew exactly what it was, but it just felt like I had achieved what I was sent here to do, so it was time to be brave.”
ITV
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She noted that when she told the soap’s bosses, Kate Brooks asked her to sleep on it for one more weekend, but her mind had already been made up.
Looking back on her time on the soap, the star said that she’s “learned so much [and] hopefully I’m a better actor for it”, feeling like both herself and her character have changed during the three years.
“[Dee-Dee’s] been through a lot. She was so ditzy and all this stuff when she came. But I think she very quickly, like we saw her heart with her being with Paul a lot, and we saw her strength standing up to Adam,” she continued.
“We saw her, you know, soft side with all the stuff with her dad and the gambling. She still has all these things I think she’s definitely, obviously a bit worse for wear. But I think she’s finding her way back to herself at the minute. I think that’s really lovely.”
ITV
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Looking back at all her storylines, she said that her favourite has to be Dee-Dee representing Roy Cropper in court. She said: “Getting to work with David [Neilson] that was just so brilliant, and he’s just a legend. So I loved that.”
Sterling-Brown has already filmed her final scenes and described her last day as “emotional”. Next up, her wish list is endless. “I would love to get on the stage again. I’d love to do a film, I’d love to do a drama, I’d love to do some more comedy,” she said.
She added: “I’ve loved Dee-Dee and I’ve loved taking her on the journey, and it’s just really exciting to find some new characters to fall in love with.”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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