Coronation Street’s Dee-Dee Bailey, played by Channique Sterling-Brown, could be heading for a tear-jerking departure from the show, following the actress’s announcement that she has left the ITV soap.

The character, brought to life by Channique, first graced the cobbles in 2022 and quickly became a beloved figure. Solicitor Dee-Dee has also been at the heart of numerous major storylines during her tenure.

From her tumultuous relationship with Joel Deering (Calum Lill), who has a dark side, to nearly losing her life after giving birth to baby Laila earlier this year, her stint on the cobbles has been anything but dull.

However, this week, Channique revealed that she had bid farewell to the soap after three years, leaving many fans devastated, reports the Daily Star.

On her Instagram account, Channique shared several snapshots of Dee-Dee over the years and captioned them: “After three whirlwind years of Dee-Dee Bailey, I’ve decided to say farewell to the cobbles.

She continued: “Bittersweet to be saying goodbye, but I am so excited for pastures new and enjoying the end of playing Princess Diana and her many expressions.”

Now, fans are speculating about Dee-Dee’s exit storyline, and it doesn’t look promising. On a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, one viewer wrote: “Sad about Dee-Dee leaving! Always liked her, do we think she’ll get a happy ending?”

Another viewer concurred: “Probably not.” A third fan speculated a tragic end for the character, stating: “Wouldn’t surprise me if they kill her off. ” Echoing these sentiments, a fourth added: “Yeah same,” accompanied by a crying face emoji.

Channique has become the latest cast member to bid adieu to the show, following a series of departures over the last year. Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley), Colson Smith (Craig Tinker), Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) and Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir) have all exited the soap.

In addition, Daniel Brocklebank, who has played Billy Mayhew for over a decade, is also due to leave the programme later this year.

This week also saw the departure of character Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews), nearly 40 years after her initial appearance. The former Rovers landlady chose to relocate to Spain to embark on a new journey.