Coronation Street fans have rushed to offer Ryan Prescott their support as he said an emotional "thank you" on Instagram.
The star, who plays Ryan Connor in the long-running ITV soap, took to social media on Tuesday evening following months of a dramatic storyline that has seen his character subject to a horrific acid attack and his subsequent recovery from the evil crime.
Sharing a number of photos of himself on set, Ryan said it is a "privilege" to perform on Corrie.
READ MORE: Coronation Street fans 'not ready to say bye' as Ryan star says 'thank you'
He said: "What we do for a living becomes so much of the life we live. I’m lucky enough to work among those that get to tell stories in what we do. It is a privilege to perform for those of you tuning in.
"Often it takes times of real stress for us to step back for a moment and remind ourselves of the ways in which we are truly grateful. Thanks for all the love and following our stories @coronationstreet.
"We do all we can to tell them in ways in which we really mean it."
Soap fans have rushed to the comments section, with some imploring Ryan not to leave the show. Julia said: "You’re portraying your character so well, my heart breaks for Ryan. He’s so brave, even if he doesn’t feel it", while Rhona said: "So glad you finally got your own gritty story to tell. You're smashing it".
Luke said: "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you and your character", while Jenny said: "Hugely talented young man, please never leave Corrie!" Dawn said: "As a viewer, it’s been a gift to see how you’ve taken the role of Ryan Connor and given him breadth and depth and life".
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