Coronation Street veteran David Neilson has broken his silence on Roy Cropper's Weatherfield exit.
Earlier this week, the ongoing police investigation surrounding the gun used in Super Soap Week inspired Roy to skip town for South America, having found a gig serving food for conservation workers.
With a question mark hovering heavily above his future, Neilson got chatting to Inside Soap, although he didn't give away whether Roy would be back or not.
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"I'm 72, obviously," he pointed out. "When Corrie aired Norris' funeral, we had a scene with the hearse pulling up – and because of Malcolm Hebden, I thought: 'I'm really sorry that I won't get to work with him again'.
"But there are two exits in this for me: one for the character and one for David. Hopefully they won't coincide – maybe they will.
"I know Roy leaving will get a reaction. It's a big part of your life and a big part of that popular culture. He will be remembered for a long while."
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Further in, Neilson also discussed fan encounters on the street, revealing that the general reaction has "changed over the years".
"Roy was creepy at first and for that you get abuse, almost. But now, after all this time, people generally leave you alone, or just smile and put their thumbs up.
"It's amazing where you get recognised, though; when my son was at university, I remember going to pick up his stuff for the holidays one year and realising that I'd been in the lives of everybody there in their 30s. It's a very strange thing!" he added.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7.30pm on ITV.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
