Coronation Street icon has decided to bid farewell to the ITV soap after an impressive two-decade tenure.
Jonathan Harvey, a stalwart scriptwriter for the show, has been responsible for crafting some of the most unforgettable plots since he joined the team in 2004. With a remarkable tally of 331 scripts to his name, Harvey has shaped the narratives for Weatherfield’s beloved characters such as Sally Dynevor, Helen Worth, and William Roache.
Harvey revealed that his swansong episode had already graced television screens on October 2, marking his departure with the poignant storyline of Paul’s funeral.
Taking to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Harvey announced: “My last episode of Corrie is on tonight. Paul’s funeral.”
He continued, sharing writing credits: “Jan McVerry’s written the first half and me the second. Sure it’ll all be plain sailing and everyone’ll get on and it’ll all be lovely,” accompanied by a series of eye emojis, reports the Express.
Despite his recent exit announcement, Harvey disclosed that he actually stepped down from the Coronation Street writing squad five months prior. The lag between his departure and the airing of his final scenes was due to the show’s advanced filming schedule.
Clarifying the timeline, he posted: “I actually left five months ago but it’s shot so far in advance it’s taken til now to air my last one! “.
Harvey also teased the possibility of a return to the cobbles, stating: “Needed a break after twenty years. Hopefully I’ll be back! “.
Fans flooded the comments section with messages, expressing their gratitude and admiration for Harvey’s work, particularly praising his contributions to the character Carla’s storylines. One fan expressed their surprise and appreciation, commenting: “Oh wow didn’t know you were leaving. Thanks for all the fabulous Carla writing over the years.”
Another fan expressed their fondness for the episode, saying: “It was a great episode as usual. And I have very fond memories of you and Jan McVerry coming to my classroom in South Wales 14 years ago! Looking forward to seeing what you do next (and hopefully a return to Corrie one day)”.
A third viewer, clearly upset, commented: “What do you mean, your last? ? ? ? NO, surely not! “. Last month saw him announce that he had ‘stepped back’ desiring some time away, although he mentioned at the moment his two episodes were yet to air.
Jonathan’s journey began as a secondary school educator before venturing into playwriting in 1987. Originally hesitant about joining the Coronation Street crew, he later played an instrumental role in mentoring Granada personnel for the coming-out storyline of Todd Grimshaw and subsequently entered the fold as one of the regular writers.
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX