Stars of Corrie turned out on Friday to join hundreds of other mourners at the funeral of Martyn Hett, the social media star and Corrie superfan who has become an icon.
Martyn, 29, was one of 22 people to die in the Manchester bombings, as he watched Ariana Grande perform.
Martyn, who had a Deirdre Barlow tattoo on his leg, adored Corrie and regularly chatted about it on social media.
Kym Marsh, Helen Worth, Anthony Cotton, Jenny McAlpine, Faye Brooks and Corrie producer Kate Oates all attended the funeral. Martyn even had a Coronation Street-themed coffin.
Jennie, who plays Fiz, posted on Twitter that she was wearing a badge emblazoned with the hashtag #bemoremartyn – a sentiment intended to pay homage to the positive, enthusiastic way that Martyn had lived his life.
Pop Idol star Michelle McManus – another of Martyn’s favourites who had become a friend – also performed.
Even Mariah Carey made a video message to be played.
Martyn’s popularity meant that the funeral, which took place at Stockport Town Hall, was screened outside the hall so that people who couldn’t fit inside could still be part of things.
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Talking about his wide-reaching connections and friendships on social media, Martyn’s mother Figen Murray, said that she had been ‘gobsmacked’ when she realised.
She told Sky News before the funeral: “I’m totally and utterly gobsmacked. And it seems that he was fearless about life as well because he wasn’t frightened of talking about his own death.
“He actually had discussed and planned his funeral the way he wanted to exit.”
His mother said that Martyn – who had also starred on Come Dine With Me – had requested that everyone added ‘something fabulous’ to their outfits and that the ceremony would be ‘almost theatrical’.
The final song played at his funeral was Ariana Grande’s One Last Time, which was also the final song that was played at the concert before the bomb went off.
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Martyn’s father Paul Hett told the congregation: “I would describe Martyn’s life as one long rollercoaster ride. You never knew where it would take you or what was round that corner, but you couldn’t wait for it to happen.
“He was inspirational and this in turn inspired everyone around him. His comic timing was perfect. He would have gone on to achieve the most amazing things, of that we have no doubt.
“In a very nice way, Martyn loved being in the limelight and the centre of attention. He would be loving every minute of this fantastic celebration of his life.”
Seriously – #bemoremartyn