Simon’s exit story revealed as Alex Bain leaves – and it involves departed Coronation Street legend

**Simon is leaving after 16 years (Picture: ITV)**

The departure narrative of Alex Bain’s character Simon Barlow has been revealed by Coronation Street, and it concerns his father Peter (Chris Gascoyne).

For months, Alex, 22, has been hinting at his departure from the popular ITV soap opera by posting on Instagram about how much he would miss his job there.

Many of the cast members of Coronation Street, both past and present, turned out for his farewell party last month.

Next week, when cunning cult leader Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper) attempts to talk him into going to an Altovalent Institute retreat, his last plot point gets underway.

We’re not sure exactly what these retreats include, but it most likely involves some reality-coding bullshit that he’s been forcing on Simon’s adoptive mother, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), over the course of many months.

The two initially encountered Rowan at the Chariot Square Hotel, as viewers will recall, after Simon’s conviction for drunk driving and hearing about Rowan’s “self-help classes.”

**Rowan invites Simon to Leanne’s retreat (Image: ITV)**

**He is persuaded to seize Peter’s chance by Toyah. (Image: ITV)**

Following Peter’s departure—who had departed to work on a boat and neglected to bid farewell to his son—he had taken a swing at the bottle.

Rowan’s charming manner captivated Simon and Leanne, and in exchange, he invited them back to the hotel for more lectures, bathing them in the glory of their kind remarks.

Leanne spent hundreds of pounds telling him about her background as a sex worker and the death of her son Oliver, and she grew fixated on giving him her whole heart.

**Simon shows Carla some pictures of his dad’s travels (Picture: ITV)**

**Seeing Peter around another lady with his arm hurts her. (Image: ITV)**

She went so far as to say that she would never be able to love Simon the same way.

Simon became upset and lost his balance on the waggon when Leanne left without saying goodbye to the family this week.

In later sequences, Rowan is the person Nick (Ben Price) reaches out to in the hopes of connecting with her when he attempts to get in touch with her and discovers she has cut herself off from the outside world.

Quickly dismissive, he starts packing his luggage and recommends that Simon go to the retreat with Leanne.

In a desperate attempt to stop him from leaving, Nick and Toyah (Georgia Taylor) had to call Peter.

When Peter offers Simon a position aboard the boat, he’s surprised and jumps at the chance. When he shows Carla some photos of his dad travelling at the café, she is thrilled to see that he has a new companion, but she is devastated to learn of this.

Will Leanne’s reappearance cause further strife between them, or will Simon finally find his happily ever after?