Ahead of his final appearance in Coronation Street's live episode on Wednesday (September 23), Craig Charles has revealed he clashed with producers over his storylines.
The actor said that he and his co-star Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald, believed they could develop their comedy double act, but found themselves in "serious" storylines instead.
"Viewers said they loved Lloyd and Steve's comedy act, especially when they were in the cab office," Charles told the Sunday Express. "We get on so well in real life and we make each other laugh, so we thought we could develop the double act on the show."
He believed that they could become the "new Stan Ogden and Eddie Yeats", referencing the double act played by Bernard Youens and Geoffrey Hughes on the soap during the 1970s and '80s.
"We never really felt that the producers were behind us," he said. "Instead, Lloyd and Steve were dealing with all the serious stuff. I think the show missed a chance to make people smile."
Charles recently revealed it was the sudden death of his brother Dean that was behind his decision to leave the ITV soap after ten years.
He originally asked for time off from the show rather than a permanent exit in order to film two new series of Red Dwarf.
Coronation Street's hour-long live episode, which airs Wednesday at 7.30pm on ITV, will see the locals gather to give Lloyd and his partner Andrea Beckett (Hayley Tamaddon) a farewell party at the Rovers Return.
