Corrie legend says 'you'll be missed' as they said co-star's exit 'wasn't right'

THE ACTOR WAS AMONG THOSE TO SAY GOODBYE TO COLSON SMITH AS HIS FINAL SCENES AIRED ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT 08:24, 22 May 2025 Coronation Street legend Andy Whyment has told his former co-star

that they will be 'missed' as his upset over their exit was laid bare. The actor was among those to say goodbye to Colson Smith as his final scenes aired on Wednesday night (May

21), almost 14 years after arriving on-screen in the role of Craig Tinker. Colson announced in January that he would be leaving the ITV soap, saying he found out the plan for his beloved

character to be written out of the show months earlier, during a late-night meeting with Corrie producer Kate Brooks, in October. The 26-year-old actor has now bowed out of the soap, with

his policing alter-ego being killed off after dying from the injuries he sustained when brutally attacked by Mick Michaelis (Joe Layton) when he got in his way in the previous episode.

Following the episode, Colson candidly spoke about his exit and it was Andy, who is best known for playing Kirk Sutherland in the show, who was the most emotional as his friend's stint

filming drew to a close. Having spent years in a relationship with Craig's mum, Beth, Kirk was pretty much a stepfather to the copper. "I had in my head that all the emotion had

gone, and all I had to do was do these final scenes, and that was it," Colson shared. Article continues below "I went on set in the morning, and my final scenes were full of people

I got on with, so it had Andy, Joe Duttine [Tim Metcalfe], David Neilson [Roy Cropper], Jacob Roberts [Kit Green], so there was so much emotion on set. "I was sat in the car park at

probably about 7.50am when Andy pulled in and I had Macy Gray, 'I Try', on in the car, Andy pulled in, in tears, parked his car skewiff and I said, 'You can't leave your

car like that, you're going to have to re-park!' "He just got out and he was like, 'I'm sorry, my head's been a mess all night, all day!' So I was like,

there's going to be a lot here. But I said to them, 'Let's get on set and just do the job because our job is to do the job!' I tried to keep it like that..."

Following the airing of Craig's death, which showed Kirk, Maria Windass, Asha Alahan and Craig's police colleague Jess looking on with devastation, Andy took to Instagram with his

own tribute to his pal. Alongside a picture of the pair during filming of Craig's hospital scenes, with Colson sporting a hospital gown and huge fake gash to his head, Andy wrote:

"Took this picture just after we’d filmed the scene when Craig passed away, you’ve been amazing @colsonjsmith and should be very proud of what you’ve achieved on @coronationstreet. You

will be missed." Article continues below It comes after Andy expressed his upset back in March following Colson's police-themed leaving party. He shared a snap of himself and

Colson at his leaving party, with a police car balloon seen floating behind them, on Instagram. Alongside the post, the soap star wrote: "Last night we had @colsonjsmith Coronation

Street leaving party. I’ve seen a lot of people leave the show over the 24 years I’ve been there but I can honestly say this one has hit me so hard. "I’ve watched you grow from the

chubby ginger kid with Daryl the rat when you were 12 years of age to the caring loving man you are today, I know we won’t be working together anymore but I’ll always be here as a friend. Go

out there and smash it as I know you will, but I as will millions of people miss PC Craig Tinker."