Mike Baldwin to Leave

The News of the World reports that Johnny Briggs, who plays Mike Baldwin is leaving the show after 30 years. The paper says that Johnny, 70, will leave after some harrowing scenes on the soap as Mike loses his battle against Alzheimer's disease.
A Corrie spokesman told the paper: "His storyline has some way to run but he will be leaving in 2006 after completing 30 years in the show. It was his decision to retire." Johnny's current two-year contract ends next autumn and he has told Granada chiefs he doesn't want another £200,000-a-year deal. He had planned to go last year, saying he was fed up with Corrie's busy filming schedule. He said at the time: "When I started we were filming two episodes a week and now we're doing five."
Mike first showed up in Weatherfield in October 1976, to open Baldwin's Casuals where Ivy Tilsley worked.

Since then he's had a stream of big storylines, most involving women. They include his marriage to Alma in 1992 and frequent bust-ups with Ken Barlow—after he slept with Ken's wife Deidre in 1981. Mike is now dating wealthy widow Penny King after seeing off love rival Fred Elliott.