Viewers were left “heartbroken” last night after one long-standing Coronation Street character made a dramatic exit.
Roy Cropper has left the cobbles.
The iconic, fan-favourite character – who is played by actor David Neilson – first arrived in the fictional Manchester-based town of Weatherfield all the way back in July 1995, and has been a mainstay on the popular soap for the past 26 years, but during last night’s episode, he decided to up sticks and leave.
Fans of the soap will know that in recent weeks, Roy has been struggling to come to terms with the fact that the gun Abi Franklin obtained to shoot Corey Brent was the same firearm used to kill Natasha Blakeman.
Abi was stopped from shooting Corey on the night of the sinkhole collapse by Roy, who then covered for the grieving mum when questioned by the police about the incident.
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But as viewers know, the gun ended up in the hands of crazed criminal Harvey Gaskell, who was intent on killing Leanne Battersby, but instead shot Natasha in a case of mistaken identity.
When Roy was informed by the police about the connection between the two investigations, he then became been unable to live with the guilt, believing he had a part to play in Natasha’s death, and with all his lies to the law building up, he decided to leave for South America.
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Viewers learned that the Roy’s Rolls cafe owner had found a job serving food to conservation workers.
Roy Cropper has left the Coronation Street cobbles after 26 years / Credit: ITV
Roy then got Adam Barlow to sign over his entire estate to his neice Nina Lucas.
He instructed Abi to sell the Woody, but when Nina – who was afraid that Roy was planning to take his own life – learned that he was preparing to leave and did everything in her power to stop him and convince him to stay.
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She gathered several of his nearest and dearest – including Fiz Stape, Cathy Matthews, and Carla Connor – to share tales of how Roy had helped him over the years.
But it wasn’t enough, as Roy was adamant that he could not stay in Weatherfield.
Nina tearfully tried one final time to stop him, but he said that the fact he’d even lied to Carla over a voicemail Nina left about Roy being in trouble was proof he had to go, and so he got in a taxi and headed off, leaving fans “heartbroken”.
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
25th November 2021 
