Malcolm Hebden is to take an "extended break" from ‘Coronation Street’.
The 78-year-old actor has appeared as Norris Cole on and off the cobbles since the character’s introduction in 1994, but he has been granted additional time off following the Christmas break.
A ITV source said: "Malcolm is not getting any younger.
"He booked a bit of time off just before Christmas, but that annual leave has now become longer than first planned."
‘Corrie’ bosses are said to be unsure of a date when Malcolm will return to shoot new episodes.
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "Bosses do not know when he will be back.
"It’s easy to cover a period of a few weeks without mentioning Norris on screen but any longer and fans start to question why a character is not there."
Malcolm made his debut as Norris in March 1994, but he had previously appeared in Weatherfield between 1974 and 1975 as Carlos, Mavis Riley’s (Thelma Barlow) Spanish fiance.
The ‘A Bit of a Do’ star first featured as nosy Norris from 1994 to 1997 when he was written out of the soap, but he returned on a regular basis in 1999.
The role has seen Malcolm nominated for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards in 2002, and for Funniest Performance at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards.
In 2009, Andrew Sachs starred as Norris’ brother Ramsay Clegg, a character the late ‘Fawlty Towers’ star dreamt up with his wife, and Malcolm loved working with the actor.
He previously said: "We got on terribly well. I think it took him a little while to get used to my sense of humour but he did by the time he left.
"For me, the storyline kicks in once he’s dead – that sounds awful – but I was just being dismissive and blocking Ramsay for the first part of the story.
"I just didn’t want anything to do with him. Then Ramsay goes back to Australia and dies on the aeroplane, but the fallout is enormous – not just for Norris, but particularly for Emily. She’d become quite fond of Ramsay."
Malcolm Hebden to take ‘extended break from Coronation Street’
