Factory boss Aidan will take his own life next week
Coronation Street boss Kate Oates has spoken about her motivation behind the soap’s forthcoming storyline, in which factory boss Aidan Connor will take his own life.
Aidan will be seen for the final time on Monday 7th May, when he returns to his Victoria Street flat after visiting ex fiancé Eva and attending a leaving party in The Rover’s for dad Johnny and stepmum Jenny, who are due to emigrate to Spain.
In scenes to air on 9th May, Johnny will then let himself into Aidan’s flat when his son fails to turn up for work, only to discover Aidan’s lifeless body. No element of the suicide will be shown on screen.
Says Kate: “Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in this country. With 84 men taking their lives each week, we simply can’t afford to not talk about it.
“Aidan’s story, bravely and brilliantly tackled by Shayne Ward, is designed to give people who hide their feelings of desperation a chance to start a conversation, letting someone know what they’re going through .
“Through this story, we want to assure anyone who feels suicidal that there is always someone who wants to listen and support you, whether a friend, a family member or one of the brilliant charities we have been working with throughout this story. We want to tell people that however bleak they are feeling, there is always another way.”
Actor Shayne Ward, who plays Aidan, and the show’s production team have worked closely with Samaritans and mental health charity CALM to make sure the storyline has been portrayed sensitively and realistically.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that in 2016, 76% of all suicides in Great Britain were male.
Meanwhile, research carried out by CALM in 2016 reveals that only 55% of men who have experienced depression will tell anyone about it, compared to 67% of women.
