Entertainment Coronation Street star breaks silence on Roy Cropper's exit

Coronation Street veteran David Neilson has broken his silence on Roy Cropper's Weatherfield exit.

Earlier this week, the ongoing police investigation surrounding the gun used in Super Soap Week inspired Roy to skip town for South America, having found a gig serving food for conservation workers.

With a question mark hovering heavily above his future, Neilson got chatting to Inside Soap.

© ITV Roy Cropper in Coronation Street

Related: Coronation Street casts former Waterloo Road and Casualty star for Sarah and Adam plot

"I'm 72, obviously," he pointed out. "When Corrie aired Norris' funeral, we had a scene with the hearse pulling up – and because of Malcolm Hebden, I thought: 'I'm really sorry that I won't get to work with him again'.

Coronation Street's Qasim Akhtar teases Zeedan's role in fire storyline

"He realises that if someone dies then it is a completely different ball game."Coronation Street's Qasim Akhtar has opened up about the upcoming Speed Daal fire storyline and Zeedan Nazir's role in the events.

"But there are two exits in this for me: one for the character and one for David. Hopefully they won't coincide – maybe they will.

"I know Roy leaving will get a reaction. It's a big part of your life and a big part of that popular culture. He will be remembered for a long while."

© ITV Roy Cropper in Coronation Street

Related: Coronation Street's Steve McDonald to face a big dilemma over his daughters

Further in, Neilson also discussed fan encounters on the street, revealing that the general reaction has "changed over the years".

"Roy was creepy at first and for that you get abuse, almost. But now, after all this time, people generally leave you alone, or just smile and put their thumbs up.

"It's amazing where you get recognised, though; when my son was at university, I remember going to pick up his stuff for the holidays one year and realising that I'd been in the lives of everybody there in their 30s. It's a very strange thing!" he added.

Coronation Street fans in tears as Roy Cropper leaves ITV soap's cobbles in emotional scenes

Coronation Street fans were left in tears on Wednesday's episode as Roy Cropper left the ITV soap in emotional scenes — with it unclear if he's gone for goodOnly recently, Roy has been feeling upset by his unwitting role in the death of Natasha Blakeman as the gun used to kill her was the same firearm purchased by Abi Franklin to shoot Corey Brent, which he managed to talk her out of doing.

© ITV Coronation Street star David Neilson has broken his silence on Roy Cropper's recent exit.

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7.30pm on ITV.

Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage.