CORONATION Street actor Malcolm Hebden leaves soap after 27 years.

The actor, 81, from Pendle, has quietly retired last summer, meaning fans will never see Norris Cole on their screens again.

Last night he told The Sun: “I absolutely adored playing Norris and I was pleased to be able to return briefly after my operation.

“It took a great deal of courage to make the decision to retire.

“But I had come to realise that although the mind was willing the body was not so much.”

Appearing in over 1,600 shows since 1994, Malcolm has recently featured in cameos after a near-fatal heart attack in 2017.

Malcolm's character was the newsagent at The Kabin newsagents before Norris went into care home Stillwaters in summer 2019, after which he was only on the show in guest appearances.

Malcolm's debut on Corrie was in 1972, playing Carlos, a Spanish love interest of Mavis Riley.

He will continue to be referenced in scripts and will remain at Stillwaters off screen.