Coronation Street: Aidan gives dad Johnny a final gift - watch the scene
Shayne Ward's character is to take his own life next week
Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward) will be seen putting his house in order on next week's Coronation Street, with his family totally unaware that he's planning to take his own life.
Monday's episode of the ITV soap sees Aidan pay dad Johnny (Richard Hawley) a visit and present him with golf-club membership ahead of his move to the continent with wife Jenny.
Later on in the double bill, Aidan also manages to track one-time partner Eva down at her cottage in Lymm before attempting to make peace with her.
As has already been reported, Coronation Street is set to tackle the traumatic issue of male suicide when Johnny discovers the body of his son in Wednesday's hour-long episode.
Speaking about the upcoming drama, producer Kate Oates said: “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 not afford not to talk about it.
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“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.”
Asked how he felt for it to be his character who takes his own life, Ward said: “Aidan is an ‘everyman’ figure, he’s someone men can identify with, which is important in telling this story. We hope that anyone who recognises something of themselves in Aidan will realise they can, and really should, talk about how they’re feeling.
“They should realise that suicide is not the only option – they can and should talk to someone rather than suffer in silence and let things get worse.”
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