Catherine Tyldesley hopes Coronation Street’s Aidan Connor suicide storyline will help to save lives.
The ‘Corrie’ star believes the hard-hitting plot, which will see the factory worker’s (Shayne Ward) body found by his father Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) on Wednesday night’s (09.05.18) hour-long episode, will have a positive effect in real life, encouraging people to speak out about their issues.
She wrote on Instagram: "Here’s hoping that the work that yourself and our wonderful #corrie team have put into this weeks episodes get people talking and help save lives. #itsoktotalk #mentalhealthawareness help is there – and hope is ALWAYS in your heart – no matter how cloudy …@samaritanscharity @calmzone (sic)"
Catherine has praised Shayne for his "phenomenal" performance on Monday night’s (07.05.18) ‘Corrie’ double bill after Aidan was seen breaking down in tears at the end of the second episode, before he takes his own life, which will not be shown on screen.
She added: "’Aidan & Eva’ … heartbreaking , phenomenal performance from @shaynetward tonight. Darling it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you. (sic)"
Ahead of Monday night’s heart-breaking scenes, the 34-year-old actress took to her Instagram account to admit she is "very proud" to be part of the "utterly compelling" and "wonderfully written" plot.
She wrote: "This weeks episodes of #corrie will be difficult for many to watch. Myself included. We are all in some way affected by #suicide. I firmly believe that this storyline will help so many people, and even save lives. It’s #timetotalk . We hope Aidan’s story will encourage people to reach out and seek help, if they identify with Aidan’s experience. And also encourage others to speak to someone, if they’re worried they may be going through a tough time. These episodes are utterly compelling…heart breaking , informative and wonderfully written. I’m very proud to be part of a continuing drama that is brave enough to speak out and tackle such a subject. This weeks storylines are indeed ground breaking, and the actors involved worked so hard to help tell a story that so many people are affected by. The following charities are here to help YOU . There is ALWAYS hope : @calmzone @samaritanscharity @mindcharity (sic)"
Catherine Tyldesley’s life-saving Corrie hope
