Mary Taylor will be left horrified on Coronation Street next week when she is told Norris Cole is dead.
Actor Malcolm Hebden has not appeared in the ITV soap since 2017 after taking a break to concentrate on his health.
His character Norris' wife Mary is keen to get a divorce so that she take action with her new reluctant love interest Jan.
But she and Tracy are shocked when they find the door to number three open and Freda sitting inside.
Coronation Street fans point out awkward Ken Barlow Bank Holiday blunder
Freda tells the stunned pair that Norris asked her to sell the house.
Mary is fuming as Norris hasn't contacted her, however Freda has a bombshell revelation for the florist.
She gets out an urn full of ashes and puts Norris' picture next to it.
Is this what we think it means?!
Thankfully, according to pictures on set, it appears not as actor Malcolm has been seen filming.
Malcolm opened up about his ill health in July this year.
He told the Blackpool Gazette : "Most of December I was in an induced coma, in the care of these brilliant, wonderful people at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).
"Fortunately I didn’t realise how bad it was; I was dying. The cardiac team, headed by Mr Joseph Zacharias, simply saved my life.
"I was informed by my doctor I had had at least one heart attack. I was sent to hospital, by emergency ambulance to Blackburn hospital and was there one night... The heart attack tore a hole in my heart. They operated and took a chance."
*Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV
