Peter Barlow of Coronation Street will leave the Cobbles once more in the upcoming months, but Chris Gascoyne’s departure from the ITV serial has not yet been made official.

Chris is rumoured to take a break from the show to pursue other jobs, although a return date has not been set. While this isn’t the first time Chris has left the programme, it’s unknown when Peter’s last scenes will broadcast.

The fan fave is happily married to Carla Connor, and the two share a great deal of affection. Theories about his departure have been prompted by the idea that he would, for some reason, forsake both her and Weatherfield. Here are the most popular hypotheses and what Peter’s exit plot would be.

Prison twist

Peter has spent time in prison before, so he might be going there again soon. Right now, there’s a chance he could be blamed for a murder that occurred on the drama earlier this year.

The audience is aware that Stephen Reid, who had already killed two other characters, drugged Rufus Donahue and drowned him. Although it was initially believed that Rufus’ death was an accident, his wife Lou is adamant that there was foul play and that someone is to blame.

Peter might be the target of Stephen’s search for someone to set up or accuse in order to hide his traces. Recently, Rufus dropped his pricey watch while riding in Peter’s cab.

Lou is now aware that the watch is missing because Peter sold this. would Lou thus think Peter murdered Rufus, and would Stephen consent to his being accused?

Possibly, he will spend a significant amount of time in jail before Chris takes over the post. He may be forced to flee because he realises he could be found guilty of a crime he did not commit.

Heartbreaking split

Carla is not leaving any time soon, and Peter wouldn’t just up and leave her. This implies that the relationship must break up in some fashion, whether amicably or amicably not.

After going through so much together, viewers can’t image them breaking up, but will something separate them? A new fling or discovery, perhaps? Peter might be compelled to quit. In either case, the couple’s future will be ended if Carla stays.

Could Peter be Stephen’s next victim? That would be another way to get Peter out of the way. Since the actor is rumoured to be taking a sabbatical, it is unlikely that Peter will pass away. Hopefully, he will eventually make a comeback.

But may the rumours simply be a smokescreen for his permanent departure? Chris the actor might subsequently decide he doesn’t want to return, which could result in an off-screen death.