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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Vickie Scullard

Coronation Street actor Neville Buswell, who played Ray Langton, dies aged 77

Coronation Street actor Neville Buswell has died aged 77.

The actor, who was born in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, passed away on Christmas Day.

The veteran actor is best known for playing Deirdre Barlow’s first husband and father of their daughter Tracy.

News of Neville’s death has come from an obituary published by an undertaker in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.

Ray Langton (Neville Buswell), and Deirdre Langton (Anne Kirkbride) with baby Tracy Barlow (Christabel Finch) (Granada Television)

The tribute included a photo of the actor and a poem tribute, according to the Mirror Online.

First on the cobbles in 1966, plumber and joiner Ray was one of the original Street bad boys and spent two years in prison for breaking and entering.

Deirdre and Ray (ITV)

He returned a reformed character, married Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) in 1975 and became dad to Tracy 18 months later.

Ray fled for a building job in Holland and abandoned his family after it was discovered he’d had an affair with a waitress.

Ray dies at Ken and Deirdre's wedding reception (ITV Network)

His character was last seen in a 1997 Corrie spin-off video called Viva Las Vegas.

Then in 2005 Ray made another appearance on the street for a six-week run, dying at Ken and Deirdre's wedding reception from cancer.

Actor Neville Buswell as womaniser Ray Langton on Corrie (ITV Network)

In real life, Neville spent more than 20 years in Las Vegas, working as a croupier in the gaming industry and then in the mortgage business.

The former TV love rat explained at the time: "I simply can't cope with all that celebrity stuff. I had it once and it affected my health and happiness."

Despite swapping pints in the Rovers for champagne at Caesars Palace, Neville often spoke about going back to the show.

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