It’s a sad time for Coronation St. fans this week as popular character Hayley Cropper is killed off.

Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Hayley decides to take matters into her own hands rather than suffer further and kills herself by drinking a cocktail of drugs.

The episode has not been without its critics, however, as it has been claimed that the show shied away from the important details of the “right to die” campaign that is prevalent both here and in the UK at the moment. Although Hayley takes her own life, she does so alone, without the help of Roy, sparking some criticism.

Julie Hesmondhalgh has portrayed Hayley for fifteen years, first arriving in 1998 to the soap as a pre-operative male to female transgender.