Beloved Coronation Street star returns to soap after a decade away

A beloved Coronation Street star is set to return to the ITV soap after a decade off screens. 

With their comeback just weeks away, fans will be delighted to see a familiar face to the cobbles when Julie Carp makes an appearance. 

Set to surprise her sister Eileen Grimshaw (Susan Cleaver), the character will arrive in Weatherfield on February 21. 

Julie will be part of Eileen's exit storyline in late spring with actor Katy Cavanagh having already started filming. 

Sue recently revealed she has decided to bid farewell to the cobbles after 25 years playing Eileen.

Whilst Eileen and Todd are delighted to be reunited with Julie her decision to return to the cobbles is currently under wraps. 

Actress Katy said: 'It is exciting to dust off Julie’s quirky wardrobe again and an absolute joy to step back onto the cobbles. Julie is so much fun, I’ve missed her.' 

Producer Kate Brooks added: 'We're delighted to have the inimitable Julie Carp back on the Cobbles. As the ever lovable Julie breezes back into the lives of the Grinshaws, not everything is quite as it seems, and Julie's secret sets off a chain of events that has huge ramifications for Eileen. 

'Katy has slipped back into Julie's shoes with such ease that it's like she's never been away, and we can't wait for the audience to watch Julie's story unfold; a story full of love, laughter and tears.'

Julie first arrived in Weatherfield in 2008 after a holiday romance with Kirk Sutherland. 

The relationship didn’t work out and when Julie set her sights on Jason Grimshaw her mum was forced to tell her that she was in fact Eileen’s half sister and Jason’s aunt.

After a brief fling with Eileen’s then boyfriend Jessie Chadwick, Julie found love with Newsagent Brian Packham and they left the street together in 2015. But they split and Brian eventually returned without her.

Sue, who plays the iconic Eileen is leaving the ITV soap to pursue new acting projects and her exit storylines are already being filmed. 

The star, who is also a regular panelist on Loose Women, won't be killed off by producers, leaving the door open for a possible return in the future. 

While Sue will still appear on viewers screens until late spring, the star said: 'I’ve had 25 privileged years of working on Coronation Street. 

'The door is still firmly open but as I reached my 60th year, I decided it was time to embrace change, look for new adventures and live fearlessly.'

The star previously took a break from Corrie last year to star in Sister Act The Musical as Mother Superior and headed Down Under to compete in the 2022 series of I’m A Celebrity. 

The soap's new boss Kate Brooks shared the team's sadness to see Sue go as she said: 'We're sad to bid farewell to the wonderful Sue Cleaver.

'Over the past twenty five years, Eileen Grimshaw has been at the heart of some of the most memorable and iconic Corrie storylines, and her onscreen rivalry with Gail Platt will undoubtedly go down in Corrie folklore. 

'There's certainly no one quite like Eileen, and her character will be hugely missed on the Cobbles. We wish Sue all the very best as she embarks on her next exciting chapter.'

Sue's character Eileen has had a dramatic time on the soap and is perhaps best known for her iconic on-screen rivalry with Gail Platt as well as her marriage to serial killer Pat Phelan.