Coronation Street star James Burrows has revealed he is now working as a builder, despite landing roles in shows including Happy Valley and Silent Witness.
Burrows played Ali Neeson on the ITV soap from 2018 to 2020, leaving the show six years ago. He set up a building company in 2024 specialising in driveways and landscaping, and promotes the work on his Facebook page, sharing photos of completed jobs on social media.
Alongside his Corrie work, Burrows has appeared in a string of hit series, including opposite Idris Elba in the Apple TV+ show Hijack.
A source told The Sun that Burrows is a talented actor who had huge success, but is a jobbing actor ultimately with a family to provide for. The source said he has no problem taking on building work during quiet times between acting jobs and is not afraid of hard work.
Ali Neeson's Corrie storyline
During his time on Coronation Street, Burrows' character Ali featured in one of the soap's most dramatic and explosive storylines. It was revealed that Ali was the biological son of Michelle Connor, after she learned she and her supposed son Ryan were switched at birth. The truth was not revealed until the boys were teenagers, and Ali did not arrive in Weatherfield until he was an adult.
Burrows previously said in 2023 that he decided to quit Corrie after realising the role of Ali "wasn't for him." He told Metro it just was not really for him personally, which was why he left, adding that he was getting bored of playing the same character.
Pay cuts controversy at Corrie
Coronation Street has faced behind-the-scenes drama in recent months, with claims stars were furious to learn they would be hit by pay cuts. According to The Sun, stars were told in February of harsh changes to their contracts due to ITV drastically reducing the number of guaranteed episodes offered to its actors.
An insider told the publication that the way things are being handled by ITV bosses is appalling, and some big stars are talking about walking away altogether, adding that they are completely fed up. Those who have been on the show longer are said to be protected by their contracts, unlike more recent joiners.
Another source said many feel ITV is bending the rules for some favoured stars, quietly assuring them they will be looked after, while others are being hung out to dry and prepared to walk if necessary, calling it a total mess of anger towards bosses mixed with jealousy among castmates over an uneven playing field.
Tina O'Brien, Lucy Fallon, Dame Maureen Lipman, Catherine Tyldesley and Alison King are among the Coronation Street cast members thought to be hit by the new cuts, while Emmerdale's Amy Walsh, Ryan Hawley and Danny Miller are thought to be facing the same.
