Coronation Street bosses have reportedly sparked panic amongst the cast by reducing the number of stars who appear in group scenes.
In a bid to save money, it is claimed less actors and actresses will appear in scenes which have multiple people, and less extras will be used.
Some cast members are said to have been left concerned as they are paid per scene and will not appear in as many, with the cast already having noticed the difference in the last month.
An insider told the Mirror: ‘The bosses have decided we will take a far more minimal approach to storylines going forward, and are cutting the number of actors who appear in them.
‘As large numbers of the cast are paid by scene, that means paying fewer actors to be on set.
Coronation Street bosses have reportedly sparked panic amongst the cast by reducing the number of stars who appear in group scenes
‘The changes haven’t gone down well with the cast. Many of them are panicking about what these cuts mean for their futures.
‘The Corrie cast is absolutely massive – it has well over 50 cast members in total – and some of them haven’t filmed for weeks, so they are starting to get really worried about the axe falling on them before long.
‘There is currently a real feeling of disquiet behind the scenes and people are openly sharing their concerns.’
It is claimed by reducing the amount of cast members and extras in scenes, bosses will save on travel costs.
Older cast members such as Bill Roache and Barbara Knox, who play Ken Barlow and Rita Tanner, are on salaries but other stars are paid for the amount of time they work.
They will also save on hair and make-up costs as they will be able to better utilise their in-house staff rather then enlisting the help of more expensive freelancers.
It is believed this approach is preferred by bosses rather than having to cut the number of episodes each week.
The earliest call time for cast and crew is 7am and there are no plans for this to change.
In a bid to save money, it is claimed less actors and actresses will appear in scenes which have multiple people, and less extras will be used
Some cast members are said to have been left concerned as they are paid per scene and will not appear in as many
All scenes are shot on a run through and record basis and this has also not changed.
Coronation Street first aired in 1960 and pulled in 20million viewers at its peak in the 1980s.
However, with greater selection and streaming services today, it does not command the same viewing figures.
ITV declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
Older cast members such as Bill Roache (pictured) and Barbara Knox, who play Ken Barlow and Rita Tanner, are on salaries but other stars are paid for the amount of time they work
