Christopher Meloni quits Laws & Order: SVU

This is shocking news: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is still going?!

Yes, it is! The next season will be its 13th, but it won't include leading man Christopher Meloni — aka Detective Elliot Stabler — after "protracted talks between the actor and studio NBC Universal broke down".

Translation: the two sides couldn't agree on how much money Meloni would be paid.

Law & Order boss Dick Wolf is now on the hunt for a big name to bring in to co-star with SVU's female lead Mariska Hargitay, whose character Detective Olivia Benson will be sticking around in spite of rumours she'd be replaced (!!) by Jennifer Love Hewitt (!!!).