Coronation Street's Aidan Connor leaves the knicker factory to Alya Nazir in his will.

Shayne Ward as Aidan Connor

Shayne Ward as Aidan Connor

The Underworld owner - played by Shayne Ward - tore his family apart earlier this week when he was found dead in his bathroom by his father Johnny (Richard Hawley), having taken his own life following a secret battle with depression, but his loved ones are set for another blow next week when they learn that he's left his empire to his business partner (Siar Khan) and they've been left with nothing.

A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "In the fallout from the emotional storyline Aidan's will shows that he's left Underworld to Alya. It's a shock as everyone was expecting it to be left to his own family. It's an unintentional snub to the Connors, as he made the will months earlier when he thought about taking his own life."

Aidan plunged into depression earlier this year and was planning to take his own life a few months ago but he was stopped in his tracks when his half-sister Carla Connor (Alison King) needed an urgent kidney transplant - and he was her only match.

Despite saving his sister's life, Aidan was still battling with dark thoughts and it seems the tipping point came when he discovered that his ex-girlfriend Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) was pregnant with his baby daughter but gave her up for adoption.

Meanwhile, Shayne has admitted he was left "instantly scared" and "nervous" when series producer Kate Oates gave him the news in December that the factory boss would be killed off this spring, but he was glad that the soap was tackling depression.

The 33-year-old actor said: "I was asked before Christmas. It's really tough to watch. I was just full of all different emotions. I was instantly scared, I was nervous, and completely heartbroken, because I knew this was more than just a storyline.

"I knew the impact it's going to have on the public when it airs. It's amazing 'Coronation Street' is covering this. I'm still full of all emotions."