Coronation Street fans were left in tears on Wednesday night as one of the soap’s long-running stars made their departure after 39 years on screen.
The character, who first joined the ITV show in 1986, was seen packing up all their things and saying goodbye in emotional farewell scenes.
It came as a shock to viewers, as the low-key storyline saw the character decide to move away with the help of a one-way ticket bought just hours before.
The exit for the character followed a long spiral since losing the role as the landlady of the Rovers Return – when the pub was put on the market earlier this year.
Sally Ann Matthews’ Jenny Connor first found herself in trouble when Carla, played by Alison King, was forced to shut the local to build back the money Jenny stole.
She was stripped of her status behind the bar before going on to take shifts in the Kabin alongside Barbara Knox’s Rita Tanner.
Coronation Street fans were left in tears on Wednesday night as one of the soap’s long-running stars made their departure after 39 years
Sally Ann Matthews’ Jenny Connor bought a one-way ticket to Tenerife in the scenes that aired on Wednesday night
But sorting newspapers and keeping sweets stocked on shelves wasn’t enough to satisfy Jenny, who was soon looking to Rita for help.
To make matters worse, Jenny had been caught up in a messy romance back and forth with Tony Maudsley’s George Shuttleworth, whose eyes were currently on Jenny’s rival Christina Midgeley, played by Amy Robbins.
In a plan to garner sympathy from George, Sally’s Jenny had even gone as far as to lie about the seriousness of Rita’s recent fall – but the lie was soon uncovered.
Rita was quick to confront her surrogate daughter about her behaviour, demanding she faced up to the way she had been acting and sort herself out.
It was then that Jenny admitted she had been struggling with feeling unfulfilled, and no longer knew who she was – and begun thinking about moving to Tenerife.
Struggling to abandon Rita, Jenny was pushed along by George who secretly explained her difficulty in taking the final step to the shop keeper.
Rita was then seen handing Jenny the money for a one-way ticket to the sunny destination to start her life over.
Handing her an envelope of cash, Rita said: ‘It’s for a flight – one way. It’s time you start liking yourself again and I don’t think that’s something you’re getting round here.
Rita was seen handing Jenny the money for a one-way ticket to the sunny destination to start her life over
Jenny threw away her licence plate for the Rovers as she departed, telling Rita that she would be going back to her maiden name, Jenny Bradley, making the licence redundant
The actress had a ‘low-key’ exit after being part of the show for 39 years
‘Who wants to spend life being grateful? And if you do stick around here long enough it’ll be my turn.
‘I’ll be fine without you, love. And besides, I’ll come and see you for a holiday soon.’
After struggling to accept the help, and make her decision, Jenny finally announced she would be leaving as the episode came to a close – and it wasn’t the only change.
The character revealed to Rita she would once again go by her maiden name of Bradley for her new life abroad.
Holding onto her Rovers’ licence plate, the symbolic scene saw Jenny admit: ‘This was Jenny Connor’s gaffe, the next place will be Jenny Bradley’s.
‘Because one thing I know about her, she can show up some place and make things happen.
‘If I can go from being a slip of a barmaid at Bet Lynch’s beck and call to landlady, clanging that bell every night then there ain’t nothing I can’t do.’
Before leaving for her fresh start, she’s then seen putting her nameplate in the rubbish around the side of the Rovers Return.
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Fans flooded X as the departure scenes played out, admitting they had been left ‘in tears’ by the shock exit, which featured very little drama.
‘Gutted, what a final episode for Jenny,’ one penned. ‘It feels like the end of an era with her and Rita too, that mother/daughter duo was brilliant.’
A second added: ‘I was heartbroken. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry at that last moment between Jenny and Rita. Ugh. So good.’
While a third chimed in: ‘Kind of heartbroken. She was one of the best things about the show. I’ve sobbed over Jenny and Rita’s relationship many times.’
A fourth wrote: ‘NOBODY TALK TO ME. Jenny outside the Rovers with Rita?! I’m actually borderline inconsolable.’
A fifth concluded: ‘Jenny and Rita has got me all emotional.’
It comes after actress Sally Ann, 55, stepped back from the soap earlier this year.
The Sun reported that the decision had been left to Sally Ann on how her exit storyline would play out, with the actress keen to keep it ‘low key’.
An insider told the publication: ‘She didn’t want to make a big deal of it.
‘She didn’t want a big leaving party nor did she want to do anything that would be a sensationalist exit. It was all kept very low key as per her wishes.’
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV and is available to stream on ITVX.
