John Savident: Tributes after Coronation Street's Fred Elliot star dies - updates

Coronation Street star John Savident has died at the age of 86, according to his agent.

The actor, known for the role of Fred Elliot on the ITV show, passed away on Wednesday (February 21). He first appeared on the soap in 1994 and rapidly became a fan favourite.

Some of his highlights on the show included a tumultuous love life which included three marriages and a wave of failed marriage proposals. His character was killed off in 2006, suffering a stroke on the day he was supposed to marry Bev Unwin (Susie Blake).

A statement from his agent to the PA news agency said: “We are sad to announce the death of the actor John Savident who died on Wednesday February 21. He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”

After leaving his soap work, Savident appeared on stage in productions of panto Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice.

Savident was married to theatre director Rona Hopkinson and they had two children.

Follow tributes in our live blog below.

While John Savident became well known for his role as Fredd Elliot on Coronation Street, he appeared in a wide range of other productions.

He was featured in the famous political comedy Yes, Minister, as well as Stanley Kubrick's dystopian thriller A Clockwork Orange, the Gandhi biopic, the war film Battle Of Britain, the science fiction series Doctor Who, and the period dramas The Remains Of The Day and Middlemarch.

He was also involved in the first staging of the musical Phantom Of The Opera in October 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Haymarket, London, as the opera house owner Monsieur Firmin. He returned to play the character in 201 at the Royal Albert Hall concert film.

After leaving soap