Drama is reportedly simmering among Coronation Street cast members amid claims that only a chosen few are being granted access to high-paying brand deals
Tensions are reportedly boiling over behind the scenes at Coronation Street, as accusations of preferential treatment have sparked major discontent among the cast.
Sources claim a growing divide has formed after stars Samia Longchambon and Sair Khan were chosen for lucrative brand collaborations – opportunities others on the show claim they were denied.
Samia, 42, recently made an appearance in a promotional video for Marks & Spencer, promoting seasonal treats from its café alongside her husband Sylvain Longchambon, best known from Dancing on Ice. Meanwhile, Sair, 37, showcased a high-end Bertazzoni oven worth £2,500 in a slick Instagram post.
While ITV enforces strict restrictions on external endorsements for its soap stars, requiring all commercial activity to pass executive approval, not everyone seems to be playing by the same rulebook as at disgruntled insiders on the soap have claimed that other cast members are fed up.
Frustrated actors say the rules are inconsistently applied, with some actors allegedly blocked from even the smallest form of brand deals. One cast member, who claims two of her endorsement opportunities were vetoed this year, didn’t hold back when speaking to The Sun: “It’s one rule for the polished PR favourites, and another for the rest of us. If you’re not part of the golden circle, forget it,” they said.
“They wouldn’t let most of us even do a teeth-whitening collaboration, meanwhile Samia’s out there posing with pastries. It’s a total p**s take.”
The cast member continued: “We’ve been told time and time again: no ads, no endorsements – not so much as a candle on Instagram. But then Samia pops up in a full-blown promo for M&S and everyone’s just supposed to pretend it’s normal?
“People are keeping quiet as they don’t want to rock the boat or get the boot but there’s a lot of anger. Why are some allowed to cash in while the rest of us struggle?”
Samia has portrayed Maria Connor since the early 2000s, while Sair joined the cast in 2014 as Alya Nazir. According to internal policy, all outside gigs must receive prior sign-off and must align with ITV’s commercial obligations and protect character integrity.
The behind-the-scenes friction comes at a challenging time for the legendary soap, currently navigating significant financial constraints. As previously reported, producers are scaling back filming days, shifting actors to part-time status, and stretching scripts in an effort to control costs and boost profitability.
When approached for comment, an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror: “We do not discuss individual cases, but the cast are aware that all requests for commercial deals go through an approvals process and are dealt with on a case by case basis.”
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