A few months ago, nations were united in GRIEF, after the death of one of soap's best loved characters Hayley Cropper, I'm telling ya, they were tough times. Hayley had been diagnosed with cancer last year, and after an uphill battle decided to take her own life with husband Roy by her side in January, and JAYSUS, there wasn't a dry out in the house.

Actress Julie Hesmonghalgh bagged a well-deserved National Television Award for her role and now it seems it's time to move on and leave Hayley and that loyal red coat of hers behind once and for all. The actress is set to star in Russell T Davies new Channel Four drama 'Cucumber' about gay life in the 21st Century. She will join Freddie Fox and Vincent Franklin - who starred in The Thick Of It - in the series which is currently filming in Manchester.

Davies has a whole heap of great television credits behind him like Queer as Folk and Doctor Who so it looks like Julie will be in good hands. The series will follow 46-year-old Henry (Franklin) and his long-suffering boyfriend Lance, whose lives are turned upside down after a disastrous date night. Hesmondhalgh is set to play Henry's sister.

Although we do miss Hayley around the Cobbles, looking forward to seeing her reinventing herself in this new role, now if only Roy Cropper could find a birra happiness...