David Moran and Lynette McMorrough - who play Kevin and Glenda Banks in the ITV soap opera - knew in November that they were being axed.

 

"It was the best kept secret in showbusiness," said 35-year old David, who has been in the series for five years.

 

"We didn't even tell other members of the cast.  By the time it was announced, we'd got over the shock.  And it is a shock to hear you're going to be dropped.

 

"I wanted to know in November if I'd still be in the programme.  I'd had offers of a tour and a summer season, and I wanted to make plans.

 

"Because Lynette and I are married in the series anything which happened to me also affected her.  Lynette heard the news first.  I was in London when new producer Philip Bowman arranged to take her for a drink.  She rang me and was very nervous and upset because she feared the outcome.

 

"Then Philip rang me to say we were being written out.  He felt the characters had been explored as usefully as they could and it was time for a change.

 

"It's the moment every actor on Crossroads dreads.  You know one day it's all got to end.  I knew the regular work, the acclaim that any character in a soap opera achieves, was over.  A numbness came over me.

 

"Crossroads is a fur-lined rut.  No one wants to swap it for the uncertainty of looking for other roles - or the dole queue.

 

"philip asked us to keep it to ourselves until he announced it.  It's tough.  But for our own pride we're determined to do the job as well as we can."

 

The other two axed stars - Ronnie Allen, 51, and fiancee Sue Lloyd, 44, who play David and Barbara Hunter - had no inkling of their fate.

 

"After 14 years with the series it came as a blow to Ronnie," said David.  "He's terribly upset.  But being a real trouper he's hiding his feelings very well."