Coronation Street is going to kill off a legendary character, 37 years after his debut on the series.
Jim McDonald (Charlie Lawson), the father of long-running character Steve (Simon Gregson) and wife of 80’s dad’s favourite Liz (Beverley Callard), will die off screen in scenes set to air on ITV in March.
Lawson has been an occasional guest fixture on the show since 2000, and currently divides his time between shooting Corrie and posting memes about immigrants and Sadiq Khan on Twitter (X).
He confirmed the news on his preferred social media platform yesterday, responding to a fan: “I’ve known since early September, but I’ve always respected the confidentiality of the programme.”
He added: “It wasn’t a surprise when I was informed last year.”
Lawson first appeared in Coronation Street in 1989, remaining a full-time cast member until 2000. He was at the centre of many memorable storylines in the 90s, typically centred on his volatile marriage to Liz and his regular brushes with the law, which landed him in prison.
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He has been a sporadic character for much of the 21st century, but made a big comeback for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2010 and remained on the cobbles for a further four months, then returned three years later for another three months. Lawson next returned to the soap in September 2018.
According to Radio Times, Steve will be informed that his estranged dad is unwell in March.
In 2024, Lawson criticised the direction of the soap, and suggested that former writer John Stevenson would no longer “recognise the show” if he were alive today.
“We felt it was a completely different animal, so fundamentally different from our day and the viewing figures have plummeted,” he told The Sun.
Manchester-based Coronation Street, the world’s longest running soap, began in 1960, but has faced uncertainty recently and was hit with a wave of longstanding cast departures in 2025, spearheaded by the exit of Gail Platt actor Helen Worth.
Other recent departures have included Charlotte Jordan, who played popular Rovers Return barmaid Daisy Midgeley, PC Craig Tinker star Colson Smith, and Sue Cleaver, who played Eileen Grimshaw.
The Sun has reported that cast members were in danger of being dropped from the soap due to an alleged cash crisis occurring behind the scenes, with bosses opting to shine a light on the show’s younger actors because they are cheaper to retain, although ITV denied the claims.
Nonetheless, budget cuts at the channel led to Corrie and fellow soap Emmerdale’s episode counts being reduced from six to five a week, a decision that came into effect in January 2026 and was framed by the broadcaster as a pivot to a new soap “Power Hour” despite reports that up to 75 total staff members working on the soap, including writers, would depart the production due to a behind-the-scenes restructuring caused by the financial cuts.
Image: Charlie Lawson, ITV
