We were all rather sad to hear that Coronation Street veteran Julie Hesmondhalgh would be leaving the show after 15 years, and now after months of waiting, Corrie bosses have finally revealed how Hayley will bow out.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read on if you want to be kept in the dark.
Still here? Ok, here goes:
You might remember that Hayley got some odd test results when she visited the doctor with husband Roy recently? Well, it turns out that Mrs Cropper has stage 2 pancreatic cancer, and will be told by doctors that she only has months to live.
Hesmondhalgh wept when she read the story for herself, but knew that there was no other way to explain why Hayley would leave her husband. "I remember reading the scripts for the first time and being inconsolable", she said. "Every single page, I was heartbroken." However, she did stress that it won't be all tears and heartache, as Hayley and Roy deal with the diagnosis in their own way.
The storyline will be a tough one for long-term fans of the soap to digest though. Plus, it will be sure to touch families across the UK and Ireland, who have lost loved ones to the silent but deadly cancer.
ITV has worked closely with Pancreatic Cancer UK on the story, and the charity's chief executive is glad to see them working to raise awareness. "Pancreatic cancer does not have a very high public profile so we are very grateful to ITV for raising awareness of it through Hayley’s story”, he said.
Viewers will see Hayley receive the devastating diagnosis next Monday evening.
