Coronation Street creators have confirmed the death of one of the soap’s longest-standing characters in a shocking storyline.
It’s the end of an era as the residents of Weatherfield discover that Norris Cole has died.
Former newsagent Norris – who is played by Malcolm Hedben in the beloved Manchester-based ITV soap, and is most known for his love of gossip and working at The Kabin – first appeared on the iconic cobbles all the way back in 1994, and has been a mainstay of the show ever since.
Over the years, Norris formed a close bond with Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) and Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire).
He eventually tied the knot with Mary Taylor (Patti Clare) in 2017, before filing for divorce a year later so that he could re-marry Emily’s niece Freda Burgess (Ali Briggs) and the pair have been living in Stillwaters Retirement Home ever since.
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The character of Norris was last seen on our screens in June 2020.
Norris first appeared on the iconic cobbles all the way back in 1994, and has been a mainstay of the show ever since / Credit: ITV
In January, it was announced that despite a brief return to the cobbles in 2019, Malcolm Hebden had retired from the soap after 27 years of playing busybody Norris Cole, as the 81-year-old actor suffered a heart attack in 2017.
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Speaking at the time of his decision to leave the show, Malcolm said: “I absolutely adored playing Norris and I was pleased to be able to return briefly after my operation. It took a great deal of courage to make the decision to retire, but I had come to realise that although the mind was willing the body was not so much.”
A spokesperson for the soap said at the time that Norris would continue to be referenced in scripts, adding: “Whilst Malcolm enjoys his retirement at home, Norris will reside at Stillwaters off screen and will continue to be referenced in scripts.”
And Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod said previously: “In Malcolm’s incredibly skilled hands, Norris Cole became an all-time great Coronation Street character, whose lemon-lipped barbs will be remembered forever.”
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So, how will Norris’ shock death be revealed on the show then?
Ken Barlow confides in Rita that Norris wants to meet up as he has some important news, however they’re shocked to hear from his wife Freda that Norris has collapsed and been taken to hospital with a suspected stroke.
When Ken, Rita and Mary Taylor arrive at the hospital, they’re met by an ashen-faced Freda who breaks the news that Norris died half an hour ago.
Later scenes show the cast raising a toast to Norris in the Rovers Return.
Featured Image – ITV
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Tesco reveals what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal combination was in 2025, and some newbies have taken the top spots.
We all know meal deals are a classic lunch option for hungry office workers and for those looking for something quick to grab on the go, and it’s fair to say Tesco’s is one of the most popular on the market – but which combination was the most popular over the past 12 months? Which meal deal was the most commonly-picked from supermarket shelves in 2025?
Well, after last year saw a change in both the main and snack categories, this time around they have stayed the same and it’s actually the drink option where we see a change.
For the second year running, the Tesco Chicken Club Sandwich was the most popular choice of main, while the Tesco Egg Protein Pot took the top snack title.
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s time, however, to wave goodbye to the Coca-Cola (500ml) bottle, which has taken the title of the nation’s favourite meal deal drink for the past three years now, and say hello to the nation’s new favourite drink… a can of Red Bull.
When it comes to the North West’s favourite combo, the snack and drink choices remain the same to the rest of the UK’s, but the main is slightly different, as we favour a Tesco Just Ham Sandwich instead.
As always, the meal deal statistics for 2025 were revealed as part of Tesco’s annual ‘Clubcard Unpacked’ series, which is basically like ‘Spotify Wrapped’ but for Clubcard customers, giving loyalty card members a unique insight into what they shopped for and how much they saved over the last year.
The series also gives Clubcard holders the chance to find out what their personal favourite meal deal combination was in 2025, and see how that compares to the rest of the nation.
You’ll just need to open your Tesco Clubcard app on your mobile to find out, or you can head to the Tesco website here and login to your account.
Results are available now for a limited time only.
As well as getting to find out their own most-bought meal deal items, this year’s video also shows Clubcard members further insights into how they shopped at Tesco last year – from their most frequently-purchased products, to how many points they saved and spent.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Manchester United issue statement after Bruno Fernandes’ social media is hacked
Danny Jones
Manchester United were forced to issue an official statement following Bruno Fernandes’ social media being hacked.
The Man United star’s digital profile was hijacked in the wake of the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend, which saw the Red Devils knocked out of the FA Cup and, it’s fair to say, quite the flurry of activity online.
As if to add insult to injury, with United‘s exit from the competition, a user then commandeered the club captain’s presence to share several fake posts.
With the official Bruno Fernandes X account being targeted following the game, the club had no choice but to respond after several controversial and/or inappropriate posts, not to mention multiple instances of general anti-ownership sentiment.
In case you didn’t see any of the since-deleted posts, besides one understandably troublesome comment which read, “let’s get rid of INEOS“, others were even more provocative/inflammatory.
The comments ranged from everything between messages @ing darts player and United fan Luke Littler to influencers like KSI and Jake Paul.
Offensive language was also present in many of them.
As for the Portuguese midfielder, he also quickly clarified that he obviously had no involvement in the activity; meanwhile, despite plenty of players coming out to apologise for the defeat on Sunday night, the skipper is yet to address the disappointment directly.
The loss to Brighton confirmed that Manchester United will be playing just 40 games for the rest of the campaign – the fewest since the 1914/15 season (i.e. at the outset of the First World War) – which serves as yet another unwanted record for the club of late.
You can see the highlights for the game down below.
It is also likely to have been caretaker manager Darren Fletcher’s final game in charge of the Reds, with an interim replacement set to be appointed imminently following Ruben Amorim’s shock sacking earlier this month.
His predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, also looked like the frontrunner at one point – and could still be involved in a backroom setup – but The Athletic now has it that Carrick could be is odds-on favourite to be announced before the Manchester derby.
Nevertheless, plenty of supporters still feel the problems remain deeply rooted throughout the club and that a change of personnel among the coaching staff still may not be enough…
Emily Sergeant -
7th September 2021 
