Glee cast shake-up

Which three well-loved characters are leaving?...

10:41 14 July 2011

Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has confirmed that three of the show's main stars will not feature in its fourth season.

Lea Michelle, who plays determined over-achiever Rachel Berry, Chris Colfer, who stars as Kurt Hummel, and Cory Monteith's Finn Hudson will all graduate at the end of season three, which will air on Sky in the UK for the first time, after Channel Four lost its airing rights.

Murphy told the Hollywood reporter:

"You can keep them on the show for six years and people will criticise you for not being realistic, or you can be really true to life and say when they started the show they were very clearly sophomores and they should graduate at the end of their senior year."

He also revealed that "more characters are leaving than staying" when this current series of the show-choir-based television programme ends.

Chord Overstreet, who plays Sam Evans, is rumoured to be leaving the show, after executives decided not to give his character a recurring role.

The third series of Glee will return to US screens on 20 September; however a UK premiere date has yet to be confirmed.