The singer-turned-actor has spoken of future hopes for his acting career following his exit from the ITV soap.
Shayne Ward, who recently played the character of Aidan of the Irish family the Connors in Weatherfield, has told of his plans to move on following his Coronation Street role.
Ward was given the difficult storyline of male suicide to act out on the soap, which led to the sudden death of the young father Aidan Connor.
The actor, born to Irish Traveller parents, said that while acting out the topic of suicide was emotionally taxing, he hoped the storyline would help someone: "If we can encourage someone who is feeling low... to realise they need to talk, then we have achieved what we set out to with this story."
As Ward was previously known for his singing abilities before his casting as Connor, the actor has set his sights on more dramatic roles for the future.
Speaking to RTÉ, Ward said he wanted to add to his acting repertoire: "I've had an incredible three years, I'm just going to progress from here. I want to get into more independent films and more serious dramas."
The 33-year-old received both a National Television Award and an Inside Soap Award in 2016 both for the merit of Best Newcomer.
