Shayne Ward has revealed the impact of his ‘Coronation Street’ exit storyline, writing on Twitter that he’s been “inundated” with messages.
Monday’s (7 May) episode of the soap saw his character Aidan Connor spend time with his family and visit ex Eva Price. The closing scene then saw Aidan at his flat, alone and visibly upset.
As previously announced, Wednesday’s (9 May) show will see Johnny discover his son’s body, and it becomes immediately apparent that he has taken his own life.
While the discovery scene is still yet to air (viewers will not see Aidan’s suicide or his body), Shayne has already received lots of supportive messages from fans, many of whom have also shared their own stories.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “Over the last few days I’ve been watched my Twitter feed be inundated with all of your personal connections to suicide. My heart continues to break reading what you have all been through.”
Shayne’s tweet also included statistics on suicide, as he urged anyone who was experiencing suicidal thoughts or mental health issues to seek help.
“Help is ALWAYS there,” his message read. “Talking about your feelings CAN and WILL save lives.”
While Aidan’s suicide may seem sudden, ‘Corrie’ bosses have previously explained that this was deliberate.
As his mental health has deteriorated, he has not talked to his loved ones about it, but there will be some scenes that, in retrospect, have added significance.
Speaking last week, producer Kate Oates told HuffPost UK and other reporters: “There was an episode some time ago when Carla [Connor] said to Aidan and Kate, ‘I’m not very well and I might need a kidney transplant, you’re my best chance’. The next day, Aidan went and intercepted a letter at Johnny’s house.
“As writers and storytellers, we’d got ourselves to a point which was that he was planning on [ending his life] that night, and he decided not to, he decided to hang on for Carla. It doesn’t mean he was better or ‘sorted’, just that he decided to hang on that little bit longer.
“Within that period of story, between him deciding to hang on and the episodes you’ve just seen [relating to Aidan’s suicide], we see moments of hope and moments of going back down, all skillfully, subtextually played by Shayne.”
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk