Coronation Street fans were stunned when dependable Roy Cropper walked out on his niece Nina Lucas in heartbreaking scenes.
Roy has stood by Nina after she and her late boyfriend Seb Franklin were brutally attacked by a gang of teen thugs and Seb died as a consequence of his catastrophic injuries back in May.
But the Corrie legend, who has been played in the soap by David Neilson since 1995, decided to leave the cobbles to start a new life as a chef in South America after he was drawn into Abi Franklin's gun drama.
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Honourable Roy has covered for Abi after the gun she used to go after her son's killer Corey Brent was found by drugs lord Harvey Gaskell.
Roy, who talked Abi out of pulling the trigger, has struggled with his guilt after Harvey then went on to shoot dead Natasha Blakeman in a case of mistaken identity.
And he told Nina that leaving Weatherfield behind was his 'only hope of peace.'
The Roy's Rolls owner, who took Nina in after her father Richard Lucas passed away in 2019, has signed his home and café over to her.
But a desperate Nina begged him not to leave.
"When I was beaten up it was you who brought me back. It was your voice I could hear as I drifted in and out of consciousness," she pleaded in floods of tears.
"My dad left me because he had no choice. He would have given anything to spend more time with me.
"Please don't do this to me Roy.
"You're the one person in the whole world that I trust and I love you."
And when all Roy could say was "I'm sorry" she wept: "You promised me things. You promised me you'd always look after me."
But Roy turned his back on her and silently closed the door to the cafe before getting into a taxi.
Fuming fans took to Twitter to say it was totally out of character.
@GrantTheHatter said: "I'm not having this 'Roy Exit ' story... come on writers get him back this instant!"
@Wee_Westie28 tweeted: "Oh Roy. He should have stayed for Nina."
And @IkinRachel said: "Wtf is Roy playing at! He cant leave."
Earlier his friends and neighbours gathered to tell him how much he means to them.
"You are as much part of weatherfield as those cobbles are," said Fiz Stape who was fostered as a teenager by Roy with his late wife Hayley.
And Carla Connor, who has also looked on Roy as a father figure, said: "I just love you. I love the way you trudge around in that horrible cardigan and the way that rogue hair sticks up at the back.
"There's nobody on this earth like you."
It is currently unknown if Roy will be leaving for good so viewers will just have to keep watching to find out.
