The 20-year-old actor is thought to be aiming for pop stardom under the guidance of his manager Nigel Martin-Smith - who steered Take That to stardom in the mid-1990s.

Producers have dreamt up a dramatic storyline to take Nick out of Weatherfield without killing him off or removing his wife Leanne, played by Jane Danson.

A spokeswoman for Granada Television said: "Adam wants to move on to do other things.

"He has just signed a six-month contract which will keep him on screen until early summer.

"The storyline that is going to take him out is superb, really gripping, emotional, tense drama.

"But the door will be left open for him to come back."

Radiohead rage at play

Now on stage: Radiohead's OK Computer album

Radiohead are furious they weren't consulted about a new play that's opened in Los Angeles called The Untitled Radiohead Project.

The band said in a statement they didn't give permission for the director to use their lyrics or their name.

The play is being described as a surreal experience - no music is used, only the words of about 40 Radiohead tracks.

The director, Dean Testerman, came up with the idea and said: "My hope is that it will touch in people something that will start them on the road to look at life differently, to stop being raped by technology, to stop thinking in 30-second soundbytes, in 90-minute movies, and to stop thinking it's OK that the computer answering voice says 'we're not here right now'."

Robbie "dumps" Nicole again

Robbie Williams: Single again, accoring to the Daily Star

Pop star Robbie Williams is reported to have dumped his All Saints fiancee Nicole Appleton again - because she is too much of a party animal.

Williams, 24, whose latest single is called No Regrets, hit the roof over Nicole's wild behaviour, said the Daily Star.

The final straw reportedly came when she flew out to the Seychelles to attend a party for the 1998 Miss World competition.

The pair split up earlier this year but got back together in the summer.

Oprah's surprise school gift

Oprah Winfrey: Suprised school head

An American primary school teacher has received an unexpected letter through the post from talk show host Oprah Winfrey - and a cheque for $5,000.

Debra Fjeldsted had written to Winfrey asking for help for an accelerated reading course at her under-resourced rural school in California.

Winfrey wrote back saying: "I hope this helps in continuing these students on the path to a better education and a brighter future."

Red Dwarf man reaches for Sky

Red Dwarf stars Craig Charles and Chloe Annette

Red Dwarf creator Rob Grant has created a wacky sci-fi comedy for Sky One.

The Strangerers will feature "an attempted invasion of Earth by utterly incompetent aliens".

Ten half-hour programmes will be made to be shown in 2000, and the cast - yet to be announced - will include "two of television's biggest comic stars".

The show will be Sky One's first British comedy series.

Hitchcock tips for new Psycho

Taking tips from the master: Psycho's creator Alfred Hitchcock

Gus Van Sant, who has re-made Psycho using exactly the same shooting script as Alfred Hitchcock did in the 1960s, is taking another cue from the maestro.

The horror thriller will not have a premiere or even any press screenings, in keeping with the release pattern of Hitchcock's original campaign.

Starring Anne Heche in the Janet Leigh role and Vince Vaughn in the part made famous by Anthony Perkins, Psycho is set for release in the UK in January.

Daltrey's Christmas Carol

Former Who frontman Roger Daltrey is about to open in a new musical production of A Christmas Carol at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The 54-year-old will take on the lead role of Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Dickens classic from Friday in the 90-minute spectacular.

"It's a very difficult book to stage, because Dickens is never easy - and to stage it in 90 minutes is an absolute triumph," said Daltrey.

Brooks breaks sales record

Country music star Garth Brooks has set a new record with sales of his new album, Garth: Double Live.

With 1,085,373 copies changing hands in the US since Tuesday, it has sold more in its first week of release than any other album in American history.

The singer is already the first solo artist to have three albums with sales of more than 10m each.

He has won Entertainer of the Year from the Academy of Country Music five times.

NYPD farewell a hit

More than 30m viewers tuned in to watch the final appearance of actor Jimmy Smits on NYPD Blue on US TV station ABC, according to preliminary figures.

The 90-minute special, named "Blue", garnered the biggest audience share for the series since 1995. It will be shown in Britain next year.