Coronation Street to kill classic character off-screen next month over 35 years after debut
The character first appeared in 1989.
One of Coronation Street's most iconic characters is set to be killed off, off-screen, next month.
News will reach the cobbles that Jim McDonald, who was portrayed by actor Charles Lawson between 1989 and 2018, has sadly passed away.
Son Steve (Simon Gregson) will be left conflicted when he gets a call to inform him of his dad's passing, given they didn't exactly part on good terms eight years ago.
As viewers will recall, Jim walked free after scamming ex-wife Liz (Beverley Callard) out of thousands, having pretended that his girlfriend Hannah Gilmore (Hannah Ellis Ryan) was their late daughter Katie.
Jim was at the centre of numerous huge storylines over the three decades he appeared, including temporary paralysis after falling from scaffolding during a scuffle with Steve, and being imprisoned for the manslaughter of Jez Quigley (Lee Boardman).
Fans also saw his eventual escape, and a later armed robbery on a building society which saw him locked up alongside Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne).
A source exclusively told Radio Times that Jim's death will rock the boat for hapless Steve, who has finally found happiness with Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) in the wake of wife Tracy (Kate Ford) cheating with football hero Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn).
With Sweeney leaving the show later this year, 2026 looks set to be another eventful year for the McDonald clan.
It's understood that wife Liz – who moved to Spain to live with their son Andy (Nicholas Cochrane) in 2020 – is not due to return, as actress Beverley Callard has swapped soaps to star in Irish serial drama Fair City.
Lawson, who is aware of his character's demise, is now a regular pundit on GB News. While penning his autobiography That's Life, So It Is last year, he spoke openly about a lack of acting roles and the financial difficulties he had faced.
In between his numerous stints on Coronation Street, he has appeared in The Bill, Doctors, Casualty and sister drama Holby City. Lawson also played Father Connolly in ITV drama series Dark Heart.
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Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
