Aidan Connor is to take his own life on 'Coronation Street'.
Aidan Connor
The ITV soap is set to tackle the topic of male suicide after the Underworld owner - played by Shayne Ward - decides to tragically end his life.
In scenes airing in the week of May 7, viewers will find out that Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) has discovered his son's body at his flat after Aidan failed to turn up for work. No element of the suicide will be shown on screen and Aidan's last scene will see him on his own in his flat.
Shayne said: "I am honoured to have been trusted with a storyline like this, it shows the confidence that Kate and the team had in me to be able to play it. When you get given a storyline like this it is a decision that is not taken lightly, I have played it with as much honesty and truth as I could. I am very proud of what I have done in my three years on the show and on this storyline in particular ...
"Talking could have helped Aidan to turn his life around. It could have brought him relief from what he was going through. This is what his loved ones would have wanted ... We all know someone who has maybe felt like Aidan did, someone who found it hard to talk and we have all heard stories like Aidan's when it was too late, when people looked back and wished they had spotted the signs, but it isn't always possible. If we can encourage someone who is feeling low, who is having the sort of thoughts Aidan was having, to realise they need to talk, then we have achieved what we set out to with this story."
Whilst 'Coronation Street' producer Kate Oates added: "Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in this country. With 84 men taking their lives each week, we quite simply can't afford to not talk about it. Aidan's story, bravely and brilliantly tackled by Shayne Ward, is designed to give people who hide their feelings of desperation a chance to start a conversation, letting someone know what they're going through.
"Through this story, we want to assure anyone who feels suicidal that there is always someone who wants to listen and support you: whether a friend, family member, or one of the brilliant charities we have been working with throughout this story. We want to tell people that however bleak they are feeling, there is always another way."
'Coronation Street' worked with Samaritans and CALM on the storyline, which will also document how his devastated family and friends try to come to terms with their loss and how they didn't realise he was struggling.
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