Kate Oates broke down in tears of "relief" after seeing Aidan Connor’s ‘Coronation Street’ suicide storyline play out on screen.
The ‘Corrie’ series producer – who will depart the show in June to take over on drama series ‘Bancroft’ – sobbed at the heart-breaking scenes, which saw Aidan (Shayne Ward) break down before taking his own life off screen, followed by the emotional impact his death had on his family.
While Kate admits some of her tears were due to the hard-hitting nature of the plot, she was also so pleased the episodes "worked".
Speaking at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday (13.05.18), she exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "There were always going to be reservations until the episodes had gone out.
"I knew the episodes were good and I knew the message was fine as far as I was concerned.
"When I watched them I sobbed. Partly because it was emotional, and partly with relief because, for me, I felt they worked.
"You still never know how it’s going to land though."
The soap boss is delighted with the impact the storyline has had already, with several people contacting ‘Corrie’ to speak out about their own issues.
She added: "As it is, people received it with a really genuine spirit and with a lot of honesty.
"People got in touch with us and said, ‘I’m having a hard time. My child is having a hard time. My dad’s having a hard time.’
"That’s exactly what we wanted – talking. The most important thing now is that carries on.
"We’ve got loads of other stuff coming up and obviously that storyline will be continued through the Connor family, but that conversation should not stop.
"That momentum needs to still happen. 84 men a week kill themselves. It’s not good enough. We have to keep that conversation going."
Kate Oates’ tears of relief at Aidan’s Corrie suicide
