Shayne Ward’s fiancée will "forever be in awe" of him after he revisited "tragic loss" to play Aidan Connor’s suicide storyline in ‘Coronation Street’.
Sophie Austin – who previously played Lindsey Butterfield in ‘Hollyoaks’ – has spoken of her "pride" for her husband-to-be following his portrayal of the factory owner’s final ‘Corrie’ scenes before the character takes his own life, which will not be shown on screen.
She wrote on Instagram: "So here we are at the end of this long journey , one that I’m so so proud of you for taking . At first it was such a hard decision and road to face knowing how important this story was for us as a family and for so many others. You were scared as you wanted to do it justice ! Well you did my darling , you listened to stories/ experiences , learnt , revisited your own memories and tragic loss and worked hard to make this story the truest it could be and to hopefully help others and get people taking . I will forever be in awe of you and your amazing talent as an actor .Thankyou my love xx @shaynetward @samaritanscharity @calmzone (sic)"
‘Corrie’ fans watched heart-breaking scenes on Monday night’s (07.05.18) double bill as Aidan told his ex Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) he still loves her, and he gave gifts to his friends and family before breaking down in his flat.
The ITV soap teamed up with charities Samaritans and CALM to ensure the story was handled realistically, and prior to the two episodes, Sophie encouraged people, especially men, to speak out if they are going through any issues.
She wrote on Twitter: "Some will find tonight too hard to watch as it’s a subject that is so close to so many people’s hearts, some will say it’s too dark for a soa, all I ask is please do not lose sight of what @itvcorrie are doing, it’s bringing the subject to the forefront and to get people especially men talking and not feeling alone. Soap is one of the biggest platforms we have to get subjects spoken about, and awareness given to subjects that are happening every single day affecting so many people! this is so important to please keep this subject open! Talk talk talk #neverhidden (sic)"
Aidan’s dad Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) will find Aidan’s body on Wednesday night (09.05.18) after he fails to turn up for work at the factory.
Sophie Austin praises fiancé Shayne Ward after emotional Corrie scenes
