'Wentworth' season 5 spoilers news: Daniel Cormack confirmed to exit series; inmates to fight over Bea's top spot?

Contrary to rumors that Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) will still return to "Wentworth," series executive producer Jo Porter confirmed that the female lead will no longer be in the show.

Season 4 left off with Bea's tragic death, but it seems that the H Block top dog will no longer come back to continue her story. Speaking with News.com.au, Porter said killing off such an important character was very difficult for the creators."It is always an incredibly difficult decision to say farewell to a much-loved and revered character like Bea Smith," she said. "Which is why this storyline has had such a huge impact on us all and we are sure fans will feel the same. This decision was particularly hard as it meant also saying goodbye to Danielle Cormack."

Since the show still has a long way to go before season 5 returns to the small screen, the identity of the new protagonist remains to be seen. If one thing is for sure, Bea's death and the arrival of new characters will launch the plot into greater heights. Rumor has it that the next installment could feature a story arc wherein the inmates fight against each other to get Bea's top spot in the prison hierarchy.

One of the most notable characters in the series is Allie Novak (Kate Jenkinson), popularly known as the woman who seduced the formerly straight Bea. In an interview with Stuff, the Aussie actress mentioned she and Cormack had an instant chemistry when they first met. "We just instantly hit it off," she said. "We just had the connection that those two characters needed to have."

Allie is a drug-addicted prostitute caught between the fight involving her friend/protector Kaz Proctor (Tammy Macintosh) and Bea. At the end of season 3, her loyalties became divided as she tried to figure out whose side she will take. Recalling the time she first joined the series, Jenkinson said she knew little about her character's fate. "I knew she was written as a love interest for Bea Smith," the actress continued. "I didn't know how that would manifest and I didn't know if that was going to be sustained."

"Wentworth" season 5 is expected to premiere in May 2017.