Coronation Street creator Tony Warren dies aged 79

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Coronation Street creator, Tony Warren, has died aged 79.

The soap broke the news on their Twitter account on Wednesday morning, by saying: ā€œItā€™s with great sadness that Coronation Street confirms legendary creator & writer Tony Warren MBE has passed away.ā€

ITV has since confirmed that Mr Warren died on Tuesday surrounding by his family and friends.

Coronation Street creator Tony Warren dies aged 79

Tony Warren, who was born Anthony McVay Simpson, was openly gay during the early days of the soap and feared being arrested during the years when homosexuality was still a crime.

He described the show as ā€œqueerest soap of them allā€ and said he wouldnā€™t have created the show had he not been gay.

When discussing his homosexuality, Mr Warren said that although ā€œa lot of creative people at Granada didnā€™t careā€, he did face a barrage of homophobic remarks from some staff.

ā€œOn one occasion I sat there and listened and listened until I got to my feet and said, ā€˜I have sat here and listened to three poof jokes, an actor described as a poof, a storyline described as too poofy, and I would just like to remind you that without a poof you wouldnā€™t be in work’ā€, he said.

ā€œOne of them said, ā€˜but Tony, we didnā€™t mean youā€™ and I said. You call my brothers, you call meā€™.

ā€œI didnā€™t know I felt so strongly until that moment, and from then on I never pretended to another soul that I was anything other than what I am.ā€

Cast members from the soap have already taken to social media to pay their respects to him.

Antony Cotton, who plays gay character Sean, said that Mr Warren had left ā€œthe greatest legacyā€.

Coronation Street creator Tony Warren dies aged 79

Tony Warren started his career with BBC radio before being commissioned to write 13 episodes of a show to be called ā€œA Street Out Thereā€ in 1960.

When Coronation Street became successful, he wrote for it until 1968.

He continued to write for it occasionally throughout the 70s.

Later in life, he became known for his novels, ā€˜The Lights of Manchesterā€™, ā€˜Foot of the Rainbowā€™, ā€˜Behind Closed Doorsā€™ and ā€˜Full Steam Aheadā€™.