When is Lucy Fallon leaving Coronation Street, what is Bethany Platt’s exit storyline and what will she do next?

LUCY Fallon has become a Coronation Street favourite by playing Bethany Platt in the ITV soap, but she's announced her departure and fans are grieving the news.

Here's all you need to know about Lucy's upcoming exit, when it's happening and what she has said about leaving Corrie.

Why has Lucy Fallon quit Coronation Street and when is she leaving?

On May 2, 2019 The Sun exclusively revealed that Lucy was the latest Coronation Street star to quit the soap - becoming the seventh cast member to leave in 2019.

Lucy, who plays Bethany Platt, is leaving the cobbles once her contract expires in 2020 to pursue other acting roles.

She said: “After the most incredible 4 years, I have made the extremely difficult decision to leave Coronation Street at the end of my contract in 2020. It’s hard to put into words how much this show means to me.

"I’ve made lifelong friends with some of the most talented and hardworking people in the industry, I’ve had some terrific and immensely important storylines and I’ve laughed with the best people every day. I’m so thankful to Iain and everyone at Coronation Street, I owe everything to them and I will miss them greatly.”

And on September 11, in an interview with Lorraine, Lucy confirmed when she's expected to make her exit from the British soap.

The stunning blonde made it known that her exit will be filmed at the end of January, right before her contract is expected to end with Coronation Street.

If the episode is filmed at the top of 2020, we shouldn't expect to see her departure on television for a few months later.

"End of January, I will leave Corrie," she gushed. "But then I'll be on screen until maybe March.

"It's going to be horrible. When I leave, I'll have been there for five years and it just kind of feels like the right time. I'm going to miss everybody so much. I can't even think about it because I'll just be upset. I'm excited, I'm nervous – we'll see what happens.

"I've literally had the best time... I'm going to be devastated, but hopefully they'll keep me in the group chats!"

What will Lucy Fallon do after Coronation Street?

Once her contract ends, Lucy says she plans to focus her attention on more acting and drama, but she hasn't quite decided on what exactly she wants to focus her attention to.

"I think I'd like to focus on doing more acting, drama, and things. And maybe in the future I could do something like that," she explained.

Lucy previously ruled out the potential chance of seeing her signing on to star on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing.

Of course, as long as her character isn't killed on Corrie, she could always make a comeback later in the future if things don't go to plan.

When did Lucy Fallon join Coronation Street?

Lucy Fallon, who's 23 years old, almost missed out on the role of tearaway teen Bethany and was called in at the last minute.

That is because an older actress called Katie Redford had lied about her age, claiming she was 19 when she was in fact 25, and bagged the part, before being found out by soap bosses.

Lancashire lass Lucy was called in to take the role in 2015, continuing on from the work of three child actors who played Bethany between 2000 and 2007.

She was subsequently nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2015 Inside Soap Awards and won an NTA in 2018.

What else has Lucy Fallon done?

Bethany is Lucy's first major role, and it's fair to say she's been thrown in the deep end with storylines that makes her "skin crawl".

At the time she was cast, Blackpool native Lucy said: "Walking onto the set was surreal and nerve-wracking.

"But everyone has been really welcoming and I am thrilled to have been given this great opportunity."

Lucy won All Star Musicals on ITV on Christmas Eve after winning the public vote for her amazing performances.

Is Lucy Fallon engaged to Tom Leech?

Lucy is very attached to her boyfriend Tom Leech, who she's been seeing for three years and regularly posts Instagram pics of.

She's even revealed her plan is to "get married and have babies" with her beau - but they are not engaged.

Lucy sparked engagement rumours in December 2017 after referring to Tom as her "to be husband" in an Instagram comment.

The photo was taken at the reception of her sister, but she later removed the comment to just read "boyfriend" after the backlash.

What happened to Bethany Platt on Corrie?

In 2017 Bethany was at the centre of a harrowing storyline which saw her manipulated and assaulted by vile groomer Nathan Curtis and his gang.

He originally came across as an encouraging and likeable character, but that soon faded as viewers discovered he was part of a grooming ring.

After encouraging Bethany to start posting make-up tutorials online, Nathan started a relationship with the vulnerable teen, which led to her being raped repeatedly by various men.

After enduring months of abuse at the hands of her twisted boyfriend Nathan and his sick friends, Bethany finally managed to escape their clutches.