Kenny Doughty has been thanked by a Coronation Street star for the support he gave to them on Vera, in an emotional response after the actor announced he'd quit the ITV drama after eight years as DS Aiden Healy.
Kenny hinted that either he had walked away from the hit detective drama or that the show itself was coming to an end, when he posted some behind the scenes photos on his Instagram grid, along with the rather cryptic caption 'thank you for the memories.' His post sparked panic and speculation amongst Vera fans as to what that meant for the future of the much loved Sunday night favourite and it was on Instagram that Kenny confirmed that he had quit his famous role as Brenda Blethyn's sidekick.
Addressing fans on Monday evening, Kenny wrote: "After 8 years & 35 Vera films I’ve made the difficult decision of handing over DS Healy’s badge. I can confirm I am leaving Vera," before going out to thank Brenda, the rest of the Vera team and fans for all of their support.
The announcement that Kenny was leaving Vera quickly gathered plenty of comments and one of the many people to react was Jack James Ryan, best known for playing Jacob Hay in Coronation Street. Jack left the ITV soap earlier this year but, before walking on the cobbles of Wetherfield, he also appeared in Vera.
And the actor was quick to thank Kenny, who himself once starred in Corrie, for the support he offered during his brief stint on the show, telling him: "Vera’s ENORMOUS loss is the industry’s MASSIVE gain. I genuinely can’t wait to see what you do next. Can’t thank you enough for making me feel so welcome during my brief time on the show. Onwards, and hopefully see you out there!"
Jacob posted about joining the cast in at the start of 2022, sharing photos of himself on set and writing: "What an absolutely lovely job working with some incredibly talented people, still pinching myself tbh. I’ve been a huge fan of @therealbrendablethyn since I can remember with her performance in Secrets & Lies having a profound effect on me and being a pivotal moment in my journey of becoming a professional actor."
Singling Kenny it for praise back them, Jack added: "And what an absolute gent and utter professional @kennydoughty is ~ he made me feel totally at ease and proper looked after me on set."
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