CORONATION Street star Chris Gascoyne has quit the soap 23 years after joining.
The actor – who plays Peter Barlow in the ITV soap – will leave his role later this year The Sun can exclusively reveal.
Chris will leave the show later this year in a big storyline.
A source said: "Chris has decided to take an extended break from the soap.
"He loves working at Coronation Street but he's got a lot of things he wants to do and the time is right for him to take a break and pursue other roles.
"It isn't a final goodbye and the door is very much being left open.
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"Obviously fans will be devastated but there's a good few months of huge drama yet before he bids farewell to the cobbles."
The Sun understands there is no set return date but the plan is for Chris to return as Peter in the future.
Chris first joined Corrie in 2000 – making his debut during the live episode for the 40th anniversary – before quitting in 2003.
He made a return in 2007 and then left again in 2014.
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Actor Chris rejoined the soap in 2016 and has played Peter ever since.
Chris is the seventh actor to play Ken Barlow’s eldest son.
John Heannau played him from 1965–1970, before Chris Dormer took over for a year, before Mark Duncan took over a year later in 1971.
Ken Barlow actor William Roache’s real-life son Linus Roache then joined the soap as Peter in 1973 for two years, before Joseph McKenner made his debut in 1977 for a year.
David Lonsdale then briefly played Peter in 1986 and Chris finally took over the role in 2000.
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His final scenes will play out at the end of the year.
Coronation Street has been contacted for comment.
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