Coronation Street to kill off iconic character after 37 years in sad twist

Coronation Street is set to kill off an iconic character offscreen in a shocking new move that sparks upset on the ITV soap, with Jim McDonald declared dead next month

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Jim McDonald is set to be killed off on Coronation Street in a shocking move(Image: ITV)

Jim McDonald is set to be killed off on Coronation Street in a shocking move.

The character, played by actor Charles Lawson, will be confirmed dead, while his final scenes will air offscreen. The iconic character debuted in 1989 as part of the McDonald family, 38 years ago this October.

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Next month, his shocked son Steve McDonald will be told his father has passed away, according to a publication. Jim was last onscreen in 2018, and he and son Steve have not been in contact since.

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So when Steve is told his father has died, it leaves the character conflicted. Jim was at the centre of huge storylines during his time on the show, including him murdering Jez Quigley in a revenge attack, his time in prison and him pretending his daughter with Liz McDonald was alive in a bid to scam her.

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The character, played by actor Charles Lawson, will be confirmed dead(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Radio Times broke the news of Jim’s fate, with a source telling the publication that the death will “rock the boat” for Steve who has just found happiness with Cassie Plummer. They claim Liz actress Beverley Callard will not be returning for the storyline.

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It’s also claimed that actor Charles knows of his character’s sad fate, while he has not been on the ITV soap for eight years. Fans have been reacting to the news on X, with one writing: “JIM MCDONALD IS BEING KILLED OFF?”

Another said: “What on earth. Killing off Les for no reason was bad enough, but Jim is one who’s spanned 30 years and there is still life in the character. This feels like just the latest middle finger to long-term viewers.”

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Coronation Street is set to kill off an iconic character offscreen(Image: ITV)

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It comes days after the news Cassie actress Claire Sweeney has quit the show after three years. Claire will be stepping back after bagging a role on the UK tour of Annie as Miss Hannigan.

The official Instagram account for the Annie tour wrote last week: “Someone pinch us please… Claire Sweeney is Miss Hannigan! Don’t miss Claire as our Mother of the Year!” Following the news, a spokesperson for Coronation Street said: “Cassie will be on the cobbles until the summer during which time she will continue to make her presence felt in Weatherfield leading up to a great exit storyline.”

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The Mirror understands that Corrie bosses have been aware of Claire’s decision to quit for a few months, and that they understand she is leaving to pursue a part she has always wanted to play.

The tour will open on 23 May with La Voix at the New Wimbledon Theatre and she will be appearing in Birmingham, Manchester, Plymouth and Canterbury. Claire will then take to the stage from 7 July Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Blackpool, Newcastle, Dublin, Bristol, Nottingham, Hull, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Truro, Cheltenham, Stoke, Crawley, Belfast, Aberdeen, Woking, Bradford, Oxford, Sunderland, Southampton, Norwich, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Glasgow and Leicester.