CORONATION Street is k!lling off a beloved character after the actor was axed by the soap.
Actor Colson Smith is leaving the show after 14 years playing Craig Tinker after bosses decided to axe the character.
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Colson Smith will soon film his final scenes on Coronation Street after being axed by bossessCredit: Getty
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His character, PC Craig Tinker, will be k!lled off in the summerCredit: ITV
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The actor has appeared in the show for 14 yearsCredit: ITV
And now The Sun can reveal that Craig will be k!lled off in a dramatic storyline this summer.
A source said: “Craig has grown up on the street and he’s become part of it so it was a tough decision to make but one that will be worth it.
“PC Tinker will meet his maker in heroic circumstances this summer and there won’t be a dry eye in the house when it goes out.
“Colson is taking it well and there’s a real feeling that this chapter is closing for him and there are bigger and brighter things ahead.
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“He’ll film his final scenes later this month and then he’ll say goodbye to Craig once and for all.”
In an emotional statement to address his exit earlier this year, Colson said: “Autumn last year I was told that Craig Tinker’s time on the Cobbles is to come to end in 2025.
“I’ve loved every single second of my 14 year stay as a resident on the greatest street in the world.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up in, on and around Coronation Street.
“I’ve learned pretty much everything about life from the people who call it home.
“I’m excited to play out the exit story for our Craigy. For me, this is the end of the beginning.
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“I genuinely can’t wait to see what chapter two has in store for me.”
The star later opened up on his podcast about how he was supported by co-stars Jack P. Shepherd and Ben Price who waited for him while he was meeting with producer Kate Brooks.
Colson said: “The hardest bit was walking down the stairs knowing you two were there.
“I just stood in the doorway of the green room and just looked at you two.”
“The thing I’m going to miss more than anything in the world isn’t Craig Tinker, it’s the green room,” he added.
“I have learned everything about life in that building.
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Most devastating soap d3aths
SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.
Here is a list of the most devastating d3aths that have taken place in soapland over the years.
EASTENDERS
Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.
Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.
Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.
Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of k!lling Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.
He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.
Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his d3ath.
CORONATION STREET
Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.
When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.
Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.
In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.
Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold).
Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her d3ath.
This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth.
As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments.
Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries.
Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character.
Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples.
Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was k!lled off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair.
Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack.
Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease.
Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew.
The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s d3ath.
EMMERDALE
Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.
He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.
Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.
Mark Hughes was k!lled by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was k!lled by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.
Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.
HOLLYOAKS
Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.
Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.
Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.
“Every good day I’ve had in my life and every bad day I’ve had in my life, I’ve been in there.”
A Coronation Street spokeswoman has been contacted for comment.
