Fred's dead

- Published: 01 November, 2006

We watched with great sadness in October as Coronation Street and Great Britain lost its most famous butcher.

Fred Elliott has filled his last sausage, chopped his last chop and plucked his last turkey. He died of a massive coronary on his way to the church to marry Bev Unwin after years of heartbreak and rejection.

Fred, played by actor John Savident, joined the soap in 1994 and quickly became a favourite among viewers. Ashley Peacock is now the sole heir to Fred's empire and will continue as the Street's butcher.

A spokesman for Coronation Street thought a job with links to meat industry was now a possibility for Savident.