Coronation Street stars have paid tribute to John Stevenson after the writer passed away at the age of 86.
The screenwriter penned numerous storylines during his 30-year tenure with Corrie, with over 400 credits on the ITV soap before his final episode in 2006.
The news of Stevenson's passing was confirmed by former Corrie star Sean Wilson, who played Martin Platt for two decades before departing in 2005, with the star writing (via Daily Mail): "It is with great regret that I hear of the passing of John Stevenson - the talismanic writer of many an episode of the halcyon years of Coronation Street.
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"John headed up a writing team who steered the series into many 20 million viewer storylines but always had one eye in the comedic charms of Northern life. From a little knowing wink to a rip roaring belly laugh, John was a craftsman of tv humour.
"I swear you could walk down any street in the UK at 7.30pm and hear the whole country laughing at John's special humour. His like will never be seen again in TV it seems. He always had kind words for me throughout my tenure there and wrote some of my favourite episodes ever. Rest well John with a wry smile of contentment," added Wilson.
Charlie Lawson, best known for playing Jim McDonald on Corrie, also wrote: "He was a good mate and a great writer."
EastEnders screenwriter Daran Little, who worked on Corrie from 2000 until 2010, also paid tribute to Stevenson, writing on X/Twitter: "Just heard that John Stevenson has died. Totally devastated by this. Tony Warren aside, John was the greatest writer to ever work on Corrie.
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"The creator of Mike Baldwin, Alec Gilroy, Jack Duckworth, Fred Elliott, Ashley Peacock and so many others. Taught me so much. John asked me to write his obituary when it was his time but I can't find any of the notes he sent because I've moved house!
"Oh John, my dear friend, dad figure… once voted the Scriptwriters Scriptwriter by his peers. The best of the best. A true comic icon," concluded Little.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
