Dee Dee Bailey has left Coronation Street in emotional scenes as the lawyer had to navigate family tensions and moving abroad amid her exit in the ITV soap

Dee Dee Bailey has left Coronation Street in emotional scenes. The lawyer, who has been played by Channique Sterling-Brown, 28, since 2022, had decided to leave her family behind on the Manchester backstreet after being offered a job in Singapore but she had some conflict with brother James to sort out first.

Fans will know that Dee Dee gave birth to baby Leila earlier this year following her ill-fated relationship with the abusive Joel Deering, and she was was not sure at the time whether she wanted to raise the little one herself. It was agreed for some time that her brother James (Jason Callender) would take on the guardianship, but this was never made official, so he was left devastated when she announced sudden plans to move abroad.

At the beginning of Friday’s episode, things were still hostile between the pair and James decided to swerve her goodbye meal at Speed Daal. He decided to deal with his problems by trying to engineer a rendezvous with Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), but things almost went awry when Carl’s partner Abi saw the text message inviting him to the hotel. Thinking on his feet, Carl claimed that James was simply wanting to apologise for something.

Later, in the Rovers, James joined Abi and Carl for a drink where it seemed they had got away with it. When Abi popped to the loos, James told Carl it wasn’t fair to string her along if he didn’t see a future with her, but he insisted that his sister Debbie’s battle with dementia was more important to him right now. He said: “My sister needs me. You know what that feels like,” but James replied: “Quite the opposite!”

When he explained the situation, Carl wondered what he was doing sitting with him and told him to go to sort things out with his sister. Moments later, Dee Dee was out on the street loading her things into the taxi and bidding goodbye to the rest of her friends and family. Just then, James ran towards her and said:”Dee, wait! I couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye. I’m sorry I made things so awkward.”

Finally calling a truce, she said: “You’ve nothing to apologise for, nothing at all. You will always be a big part of our life. I love you all, speak soon.” As the cab was started up, Dee Dee looked at the little one and said: “Just me and you, then, baby girl. Let’s do this,” as she left Weatherfield for good. But fans were quick to complain about the fact that Dee Dee will no longer be on the cobbles to witness the wedding of her uncle Ronnie Bailey and Debbie Webster, which is just weeks away.

One wrote: “I’m actually emotional im gonna miss Dee Dee she should’ve been there for Debbie’s wedding,” and another said: “Dee Dee could have left after the wedding!”

A third wrote: “Well that was an understated exit for Dee Dee!” and a fourth said: “Dee Dee leaving [crying emoji] really gonna miss her!”

Actress Channique, 28, announced her departure to The Mirror and other press, explaining for the first time her reasons for stepping down from the role. Channique said it felt like the right time “to be brave” and try new roles, as she got tearful in her exit chat.

Becoming emotional, she revealed she would miss her character, as she explained her decision that she made months ago. She said: “I made the decision in spring, and it wasn’t a rash decision. You know, I really took a couple of months from being offered my next year contract to actually even respond.

“I felt really torn, but I really just had, you know, the sense that it just felt like the time. I feel like I’ve been so privileged, and I’ve got to tell some great stories, and it’s been so wonderful. And obviously I’m very led by my faith as well.

“So I just really took my time over it and prayed into it. And I think, yeah, I found a real sense that I had done what I’d come to do, if that makes sense, not that I ever knew exactly what it was, but it just felt like I had achieved what I was sent here to do, so it was time to be brave.”

She told us: “I think Dee-Dee has changed a lot. She’s been through a lot. She was so ditsy and all this stuff when she came. But I think she very quickly, like we saw her heart with her being with Paul a lot, and we saw her strength standing up to Adam.

“We saw her, you know, soft side with all the stuff with her dad and the gambling. So I think, you know, she, she still has all those things. I think she’s definitely, obviously a bit worse for wear.

“But I think she’s finding her way back to herself at the minute. I think that’s really lovely, where we see her on screen. She’s finding some happiness. She’s finding herself again. And I think that’s life, isn’t it? You obviously change and things shape you, but it’s how many times you get back up? That’s what counts.”