Departing Coronation Street boss Stuart Blackburn
Stuart Blackburn has reflected on his time as Coronation Street boss.
Blackburn will be replaced by Emmerdale's Kate Oates in the new year, and he's said that the Corrie cast thought he was the "Grim Reaper" when he started on the show.
"It is the case every time a new producer comes in, they get a nickname," he told the Mirror. "It's all light-hearted but the Grim Reaper seemed to stick with me. The cast seemed terrified that loads of people were going to be axed and they could be next."
He added that he did consider killing some of the cast off at the start, but felt that he didn't need to. Over the course of his time on the show, he did oversee some major departures, including Julie Hesmondhalgh, Jimi Mistry and Michelle Keegan.
One of the biggest challenges Blackburn faced was how to handle the tragic real-life death of Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow.
"The episode after Deirdre's funeral could have been and maybe should have been so, so grim, but I wanted to get the Corrie thing there, the wit and the soul," he recalled. "I did not want it to turn into a misery fest."
Blackburn concluded that he believes he was leaving the soap in a strong position after a "rollercoaster" three years as boss.
"I can't control the actors wanting to move on but we've met every challenge along the way," he explained. "Now I look at a character like Amy Barlow - and Elle Mulvaney who plays her is phenomenal. She is the future of the show."
