'Coronation Street' legend John Savident dies aged 86

John Savident has died at the age of 86.

The actor was best known for having starred as butcher Fred Elliott on ITV's 'Coronation Street' in the 1990s and early 2000s and passed away on Wednesday (21.02.24), his agents announced on Friday.

Without revealing a cause of death, his agents said: "We are sad to announce the death of the actor John Savident who died on Wednesday.

"He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

John is survived by his wife Rona - whom he had been married to since 1961 - as well as their two children and several grandchildren.

John made a number of appearances on television and in film throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with roles in classics such as 'A Clockwork Orange' as well as 'Yes Minister' and even created the role of Monsieur Firmin in the original production of 'The Phantom of the Opera' in 1986.

But in 1994, he was cast as Fred Elliott in 'Coronation Street' when he was fifties and quickly became a household name.

Perhaps Fred's most famous storylines saw him secretly reveal to fellow Street legend Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) that he was the secret father of Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) after years of passing himself off as his uncle and in 2004 he fell out with friend Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) when it was revealed that he had been having an affair with his wife.

During his time on the show, John's character - who became known for his catchphrase "I say, I say..." - was married to Maureen Holdsworth (Sherrie Hewson) but she left him after just a week after the wedding and he later tied the knot with barmaid Eve Sykes (Melanie Kilburn), although it later came out that she had never divorced her first husband.

The Rovers Return landlord looked set to find happiness with Bev Unwin (Susie Blake) in October 2006 but 11 million viewers tuned in to see him killed off in a shock twist, which saw him suffer a stroke in Audrey's house as he prepared to head to the church.