Michelle Keegan to depart Coronation Street in 2014

Michelle Keegan is to leave Coronation Street next year ITV have confirmed tonight after tabloid speculation.

The actress who hit the headlines recently for flashing her boobs on Twitter, is to depart the Manchester-based serial after six years of playing Tina McIntyre.  Keegan will be on screen for a further 12 months until late spring of next year and ITV say that Tina is set to have an exciting final year on the cobbles.

Work will begin in the next few weeks devising an exit storyline for the character. In May her current storyline heads into its next stage when viewers will see the dramatic early birth of the surrogate child she is carrying.

Coronation Street Producer Stuart Blackburn said: ’’There is more than a year of drama to come for Tina McIntyre before we bid farewell to Michelle and plans are already being made for what will be a powerful and gripping story. We will be sorry to see Michelle go but wish her every success for the future.”

Tina McIntyre was first seen in Coronation Street in January 2008, making an appointment at the medical centre. Shortly afterwards she started dating David Platt, but the relationship got off to a rocky start when she was persuaded by Gail to abort David’s baby… which led to him to pushing his mother down the stairs when he found out.

Tina went on to have ill fated relationships with Graeme Proctor, Jason Grimshaw, Dr Carter and more recently Tommy Duckworth.

Storlyines have seen Tina overcome her battle with depression after the death of her father, and get caught up with loan sharks when boyfriend Tommy was coerced into helping them traffic drugs.

More recently, in a bid to pay off Tommy’s debts, she has entered into a surrogacy agreement with Gary and Izzy, and is expecting their child this summer. Pictured right, Keegan’s apparent Twitter Tits Tweet, covered by Hilda Ogden’s flying ducks for easily embarrassed ATV Today readers.

Michelle Keegan said: “I have had the most amazing 6 years at Coronation Street and it was such a difficult decision to leave. But I felt it was the right time for me to make the next step in my career.

“I will miss Tina and will always be grateful to ITV and Coronation Street for giving me such an amazing role to play for my first ever acting job. Most of all I will miss the amazing people who work on the show, my acting colleagues, cast, crew, producers and writing team. I have met people who I know will be friends for life.

“I am very excited about what the coming months hold for Tina and what the future has in store for me.”

Coronation Street airs on ITV, UTV and STV in the UK.