Coronation Street confronted the reality of male suicide in its latest storyline.
Aidan Connor died by suicide on the soap this week. The discovery of his body happened off-camera last night, with viewers hearing his father Johnny break down after coming across his son's suicide note.
It read: '
Don't go into the bathroom - call the police.'
After finding his son's body, Johnny refused to leave Aidan by himself.
But as they began to take him away, Johnny asked to say one last goodbye to his son.
"Do you mind?" he asked. Looking down, Johnny cried and placed a hand on the cover over Aidan's body.
The show has been praised for its treatment of the issue, a similar reaction to
David Platt's rape story arc.
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Shayne Ward, who played Aidan, has admitted that the storyline was a tough one to handle but said there's been a strong reaction to it.
"I knew when I took it on that it was more than just a storyline," he told
The Sun.
"A lot of people who are considering attempting suicide have got in touch to say, 'I’m calling somebody now. I was attempting it and you’ve helped me'.
"The response has been truly overwhelming."
If you would like to talk to Samaritans, you can get in touch in the following ways.
- Call Freephone: 116 123
- Text: 087 2 60 90 90 (standard text rates apply)
- Email: jo@samaritans.ie
