John Savident, who played Corinth Street, died at the age of 86.
His agent said the star, who was best known for his role as Fred Elliott on Coronation Street, died at the age of 86.
In a statement, it said, “We are sad to say that actor John Savident has died.”
“He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”
Savident joined in 1994 as a cobbler and quickly became a beloved character on the famous ITV soap.
In reference to his famous line, one sad fan wrote, “May he rest in peace, I say may he rest in peace.”
The Cobbles pay moving tribute to a much-loved star
In a statement shared on its social media pages, Coronation Street said that everyone on the show was saddened by the death of Savident.
“Everyone at Coronation Street is very sad to hear about the death of John Savident,” the statement said.
“As Fred Elliott, John solidified his place among the greats of Coronation Street.”
“His perfect comedic timing and deep emotional depth from being a great actor made Fred an unforgettable, iconic character that brought a lot of joy to viewers for many years.”
The last time John Savident was on TV
John Savident, a legend on Coronation Street, played his last TV role on a rival BBC soap opera.
Savident’s last TV appearance was in a guest role on the BBC medical drama Holby City. He was best known for his role as Fred Elliott on the show Corrie.
Back in 2012, he was a guest on the show and played Rupert Popal.
His character was a smart older man who got hurt in a car accident and went to the Holby City hospital.
Rupert couldn’t remember that he had hit someone on the road.
This then becomes a problem as the staff tries to figure out what happened with John’s character Rupert.
But Savident was killed off the show before he could keep playing Fred Elliott on Corrie.
Fred Elliott, played by John Savident, was killed off in 2006 because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Savident said that he tried to work out a deal with the people in charge of Corrie so that he could have some free time, but he was shocked when they told him to leave.
He first said, “I did think they might be able to find a way to work with me.”
“I was honestly shocked and let down that they didn’t put in a little more effort.”
„If they had made things easier for me by letting Fred give up either The Rovers or the butcher shop, I probably would have stayed, but they never gave me that choice.
“So I just served out my notice.”
Corrie fans are heartbroken
Facebook users who liked John Savident were sad about the death of a soap opera star.
On X (formerly Twitter), someone wrote in the Fred style, “Sorry to hear, I say sorry to hear Fred was a legendary, funny character character RIP.”
“God bless you, John Savident,” said another fan. “One of the best characters in Corrie, a true classic that will never be forgotten, and a wonderful actor.”
Another person said, “Saddened to hear of the death of John Savident, who played Fred Elliott, Corrie’s strange butcher.” I think Fred was the most classic #Corrie character, and people will remember him for years to come. John, rest in peace.”
