It has been eight years since Coronation Street fans said a heartbreaking goodbye to one of Weatherfield's favourite residents and next week, Hayley Cropper will be making somewhat of a 'return'.
While it obviously won't be a physical return, her beloved husband Roy is set to suffer heartbreak when her iconic red anorak returns - only for it to end up going missing after a clear out at the flat.
In scenes to air next week, Corrie viewers will see Bernie still desperate for some extra cash and so she persuades Roy's niece Nina Lucas to let her give the flat a good clean for Roy's birthday. Finding a box of old clothes, Bernie suggests they donate them to charity. However, Nina fails to spot Hayley’s red anorak in the box.
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Roy is seemingly none the wiser up until Evelyn Plummer presents him with a model train for his birthday. Roy quickly recognises it as his own. Then, realising that the train must have come from the same charity shop where Hayley’s anorak is residing, Evelyn orders Roy to fire up the Woody.
Her no-nonsense approach then ensues as Evelyn marches into the charity shop and rips the anorak from Joy’s back. As Evelyn heads out, Joy’s left bewildered. But how will Roy react when Evelyn returns with the anorak?
Hayley was played by Julie Hesmondhalgh from 1998 to 2014 and the iconic character was also the first transgender character in a British soap, as Julie won countless awards for her portrayal. And it's fair to say Roy and Hayley were made for each other, and for Roy, no-one has been able to replace his wife and best friend.
The pair became friends after they were introduced by Alma Baldwin but at first it wasn't all plain sailing for the couple. They split when Hayley revealed she was a pre-operative transsexual who used to be called Harold, but Roy realised he couldn't live without her and she travelled to Amsterdam to have her surgery.
They were such a solid couple they provided a loving home to Fiz Brown and Becky McDonald, and they even managed to break down Carla Connor's steely exterior. Hayley and Roy officially married in 2010 after the law was changed to recognise their union.
Julie, 51, from Accrington, announced her departure from the show in January 2013 and her exit aired the following year in heartbreaking scenes as Hayley took her own life in Roy's arms in January 2014 by drinking a lethal cocktail after living with terminal pancreatic cancer.
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