Corrie stars break silence as John Savident dies with emotional tributes
Coronation Street stars have paid tribute to their former co-star John Savident.
The actor, who was known for his booming voice while playing Weatherfield's local butcher Fred Elliot, has died aged 86. A statement from his agent said: "We are sad to announce the death of the actor John Savident who died on Wednesday.
"He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him." John joined the ITV soap in 1994 and quickly became a hit with viewers with a host of hilarious storylines including three marriages and several failed proposals.
Paying tribute ITV Executive Producer for Continuing Drama Iain MacLeod said “Everyone at Coronation Street is deeply saddened to learn of John Savident’s death. As Fred Elliott, John firmly established himself in the pantheon of Coronation Street greats. His peerless comic timing, combined with a deep pathos arising from his outstanding dramatic skill, made Fred an unforgettable, iconic character that provided great joy to viewers for many years. On behalf of everyone here, I would like to extend condolences to John’s family and close friends at this sad time.”
John was known for his iconic role as Fred the butcher (Granada Television)In an emotional statement shared with The Mirror, Sue Nicholls who plays Audrey Roberts in the ITV soap said: "I am very sad to hear of John’s passing. My memories of working with you dear John on the street are a joy, and always will be. God bless you and thank you for being in my life. Much love to you and your friends and family."
Corrie's Sue Cleaver says I'm A Celebrity stint helped her to push boundaries
EastEnders actor also Stuart Antony remembered the late Coronation Street star John Savident as “lovely and witty” as he share a photo of the two of them on X, formerly Twitter. Stuart wrote: “RIP wonderful John Savident. Always lovely and witty. Here’s a memory from a garden party years ago.”
TV writer Gareth Roberts shared a heartwarming anecdote about the late actor on Twitter. He said: "My favourite John Savident story (and there were many). As I recall it, as he recalled it to me during my Coro St days.
"He was stocking up on some Christmas booze one year at a posh off license in the West End. Ahead of him at the counter there’s a woman placing an order. John S thinks, ‘Oh damn - I’m sure I’ve worked with her in something, but for the life of me I can’t remember what, or even her name.’ So he tries to strike up a conversation - ‘Oh hello, my darling, lovely to see you again!’ - bit of actors’ chat.
"She’s polite but a bit icy. ‘How’s work? Doing panto this year?’ he asks. ‘No’, she replies, with a bit of a stare. She heads off. John Savident thinks, oh, bit toffee-nosed her, wish I could remember her name and what we were in together, I know that face so well… A moment later the penny drops. ‘Oh God. That was Princess Margaret.’
Coronation Street fans rushed to share their condolences on the soap's tribute posted on their official Instagram account. One wrote: "Aww, this is sad and such a loss of a wonderful, talented man. He was the best of the best! Loved him on Corrie."
"My late grandma used to love him she’s been gone 12 years but I’ll never forget her excitement whenever we watched Corrie together and Fred came on the screen," another wrote. A third said: "Watching him on classic corrie at the moment loved his character, very sad news."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
