Coronation Street fans were left in tears after Shayne Ward's character Aidan Connor committed suicide on Monday night's double-bill.
After saying goodbye to his ex-fiancee Eva (Catherine Tyldesley) and enjoying a final drink with his loved-ones at The Rovers Return, Aidan returned to his flat alone and began crying as his inner turmoil was revealed.
The devastating scene, which highlighted the horrifying realities of male suicide, ended without showing Aidan's death.
Viewers quickly took to Twitter to praise the soap for its "powerful" handling of the sensitive issue.
One wrote: "Amazing performance from Shayne tonight. Heartbreaking. Suicide has devastating impact on families. I really hope people talk more if they are feeling low. You are NOT alone".
If you have been affected by Aidan's story, please visit: https://t.co/W35MEI9xnr where help and support is available. #Corrie #CoronationStreet #ShayneWard #AidanConnor pic.twitter.com/jGxHfPVFFI
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) May 7, 2018
Another said: "Too close to home this. 7 months ago my 25 year old cousin did the same after sitting in the pub like Aidan. Thank you for highlighting it. If it saves one life its done its job".
A third said: "@shayneTward‘s scenes are heartbreaking to watch seeing with Aidan say goodbye to everybody. You are absolutely incredible, I’m so proud of how far you’ve come well done @itvcorrie for addressing #mentalhealth."
Catherine Tyldesley bid farewell to her co-star in an Instagram post, sharing a picture of Aidan and Eva with the caption: “Heartbreaking, phenomenal performance from @shaynetward tonight.
“Darling it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you. 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.”
The aftermath of Aidan’s suicide will feature in a Corrie special on Wednesday on ITV.
