One of the families in 'Coronation Street' will be axed as part of a shake-up on the show.
Warning: spoiler alert!
An ITV statement said actors Steven Arnold and Julia Haworth, who play Ashley and Claire Peacock, will be written out of the soap by the end of the year after reaching agreement with the show's new producer Phil Collinson.
But the Daily Mail says some reports have claimed that Arnold, who has starred in 'Coronation Street' for 14 years, is "fuming" at the decision, while co-star Haworth is "shocked".
An ITV spokesperson said: "Julia and Steven are to leave the show but contrary to some press reports, there has been no confrontation with the show producer Phil Collinson."
In the statement, Collinson said: "Ashley and Clare Peacock have been part of the fabric of Weatherfield for many years but like any community, people come and go.
"Both actors and myself felt that we had reached a crossroads with the characters, to the point that as actors they were not being fulfilled and stories were harder to find.
"We mutually decided to start working towards an exit for the Peacock family, giving the actors the chance to explore new opportunities and for us to devise a dramatic exit storyline.
"I wish Steven and Julia, and of course the young boys who play [sons] Josh and Freddie, all the best for the future."
