Former āCoronation Streetā actor Shayne Ward has admitted he was āhurtā that his characterās suicide storyline was snubbed from the longlist of this yearās National Television Awards.
Shayne played Aidan Connor in the ITV soap until earlier this year, when the character was written out of the soap in a storyline that saw him take his own life.
Although āCorrieā won widespread praise at the time, with Shayne claiming he was later āinundatedā with messages from people affected by suicide, this didnāt translate to an NTA nomination for Shayne, who has now spoken out on social media.
Reacting to the snub, Shayne tweeted: āThis was the one I worked hard for. Itās always a blessing to be put forward for a nomination. And Iām always humbled.
āBut to have not even been considered for Best Serial Drama Performance for Aidanās suicide has really hurt me.ā
In an attempt to stop his words being āmisconstruedā, he then took down the tweet, and posted a follow-up statement in which he explained he wasnāt upset for himself or his āegoā, but rather that the way āCorrieā treated an important and relevant issue had been overlooked.
āIām sorry if my tweet was misconstrued by some people,ā he said. āIt really wasnāt about me winning an award and being selfish or having an ego. That aināt me.
āI really thought it was an important issue that I wanted to draw attention to again. Sometimes the way we word stuff doesnāt always showcase our true meaning. So Iām sorry again. Love to you all.ā
It should be noted that the vast majority of the Aidan Connor suicide storyline took place after Shayne left the soap, with āCorrieā deliberately giving the character a quiet exit, with only a few subtle clues suggesting what the character was going through in the lead-up to his death.
Shayne isnāt the only notable absentee from the NTAs longlist, with Susanna Reid doing little to mask her disapproval that she was snubbed in the Best Presenter category, while āGood Morning Britainā co-stars Ben Shephard and Piers Morgan both received nods.
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