Coronation Street bosses are pulling out all the stops to ensure they don’t lose one of their most popular characters, by presenting Jack P. Shepherd – who plays David Platt – with a six-figure contract.
According to The Sun, producers wanted to ensure he wasn’t a flight risk after co-star Paula Lane chose to leave the soap.
Jack admitted he was devastated after her character, Kylie Platt was killed off over the summer.
Sources have told the paper that this new contract will see the comparatively young cast member break the £200,000 a year salary bracket with this new year long contract.
This follows rumours that some younger stars of the soap are disgruntled with the fat salaries that the older cast members command.
The Sun’s source added: “Everything is being looked at to steady the ship and try and keep people happy after a rather large number of people decided to leave – but Jack was a priority and that’s why we are being told he has been told he will be a mainstay character and rewarded with this deal.
“He is only is his late 20s and after being in the show for some sixteen considerable years he has been recognised as a real integral part of Corrie – with the dysfunctional Platt family set to be projected as Weatherfield’s number one clan.
“The younger less experienced cast will have been assured they will be looked after as well when it comes to extending their contracts – if they put the work in and their characters are liked by the viewers then they will be fine.
“People like Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Eva Price, has shown that hard work can reap dividends – she has really made Eva work and that has been recognised.
“The same goes for newcomer Dolly Rose-Campbell, who has won an army of fans as gobby kebab girl Gemma Winter – she was only signed up for an initial six episodes but made such an impact with her work with the character that she too was given a money-spinning contract to stay on.
“It’s a real incentive for people to really do their best.”