Coronation Street unveils memorial to Martyn Hett and Manchester Arena bombing victims
Soap superfan Martyn was among the 22 people killed during last May's terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert.
By Will Stroude
The 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing have been honoured with a permanent memorial on the set of Coronation Street.
A bench dedicated to local soap superfan Martyn Hett and the other victims of last May’s terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert was unveiled in a new part of the set on Monday (March 12).
22 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the foyer of the arena just minutes after US pop star Grande finished her set on May 22 last year.
Hett, a former Attitude contributor and Coronation Street fan who sported a large tattoo of iconic character Deirdre Barlow on his left left, was among those killed.
Corrie’s colourful new mosaic bench, which sits in the ITV soap’s Trafford studio and will appear on screen, bears a plaque which reads: “For Martyn and all those who lost their lives on May 22nd 2017. We stand together.”
Martyn’s former partner Russell Hayward – who accepted an Attitude Pride Award on his behalf last year – said it was “comforting” to know that the 28-year-old PR manager’s memory would live on on screen.
(Image: Twitter @RussellHayward)
Sharing images of the memorial on Twitter, Hayward wrote: “Cannot thank @itvcorrie enough for acknowledging Martyn on the new set. To know he will be a part of Coronation St forever is the most comforting feeling.
“The kindness the cast and crew have shown is beyond anything I’d ever have imagined.”
The stars of Coronation Street were among the many to pay tribute to Martyn following his untimely death last May, while the soap’s float at Manchester Pride last August also paid tribute to the late social media personality.
(Image: Twitter @RussellHayward)
The coloruful float bore the slogan #BeMoreMartyn, which began trending after the Stockport-born soap fan’s death to encourage others to embrace his charatcristic zest for life.
US talk show host Wendy Williams was another who paid tribute to Martyn after discovering he had tickets to be in the studio audience for her show just days after the deadly arena bombing.
Pop legend Mariah Carey – another of Martyn’s icons – also recorded a heartfelt message of support which was played at his funeral in June.
Coronation Street’s new extended set, which includes the memorial, will appear on screen from Friday April 20.