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Coronation Street’s Fred Elliot star John Savident is being remembered by many fans today following the sad news of his death aged 86. The soap’s local butcher was a popular character on the Cobbles for 12 years, mostly finding himself at the centre of disastrous love life storylines.
After 12 years on the soap, emotional scenes saw him killed off by a stroke on the same day he was supposed to marry Bev Unwin (Susie Blake). Away from the show later that year, John announced he was set to undergo heart surgery.
According to The Mirror, he said at the time: “Next year I am having a heart operation. I am having a new valve in. I am sick of the one I have got.” Four years later, the actor underwent a hip replacement which he admitted slowed down his career.
He told Manchester Evening News: “Now, in what I call the tea-time of my career, I’ve turned down quite a bit of work because I had a heart operation and a new hip.” At the time, John was working on the script for Shakespeare’s The Dream, a move he described as “an absolute pleasure”.
“I’ll be using the text wherever possible set to Mendelsshon’s score and as it’s mainly the fairy scenes it’ll be delightful,” the actor added. With the same publication, John said his heart surgery had contributed towards his decision to leave the soap.
He shared: “When the pace changed to five shows a week, I knew the quality would suffer. My family were in Surrey but I was in Manchester, often going into work every day and never filming a scene. I was also waiting for heart surgery so I asked for a meeting and explained my situation. The producer didn’t try to dissuade me and it was decided I would go.
“Although I’d asked to leave, I wanted to go quietly and suggested that Ashley (Peacock, played by Steve Arnold) discovers Fred dead in bed on his wedding morning. But they preferred a big dramatic finish so as he was about to marry landlady Bev Unwin, he died on his last visit to Audrey (Roberts, played by Sue Nicholls).”
During his time in Weatherfield, John was involved in a terrifying incident which almost cost him his life. After meeting an escort at a bar back in 2002, the actor was brutally stabbed by him and lost two pints of blood.
Recalling the ordeal, he shared in court: “I suddenly felt somebody come up behind me and whizz me round so I was face down on the bed and then I felt a prick on my throat.
“He said something like, ‘I bet you have never met a schizo before”, which was really quite frightening.”
At the trial, Judge Harold Singer said John was lucky to be alive after the knife hit a major blood vessel.
The culprit Michael Smith was sentenced to seven years.
John’s death was announced in a statement to PA via his agent on Friday, which read: “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.”
Tributes have since flooded in for the late actor on social media.
One wrote: “Very sad news this morning that John Savident has passed away. He played Fred Elliot in @itvcorrie from 1994 -2006. He was a favourite of mine. What a brilliant actor I say what a brilliant actor. RIP John and god bless. Sleep well. #Corrie #ClassicCorrie.”
A second echoed his famous catchphrase adding: “He was a good character, I said he was a good character, Rest in peace John Saviden.”
“Sad to hear of John Savident’s passing. My thoughts are with his family and friends,” added a third.
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Source: NewsFinale
