KEY POINTS:
So, finally, after 31 years it was goodbye Mike Baldwin.
Fans were left in a state of mourning last night as Coronation Street's resident philanderer exited the British soap.
Played by actor Johnny Briggs, Baldwin first appeared on the show in 1976.
After a long-standing battle with Alzheimer's, Baldwin contracted pneumonia and finally succumbed to a massive heart attack, dying in the arms of his sworn enemy Ken Barlow.
The episode, which first screened in Britain in April last year, captivated fans across the country and has become a hot topic on talkback radio today.
Coro St devotee and unofficial Herald expert, Catherine Masters said that Baldwin's death marked the end of an era.
"Mike's always been a bit of a bastard but he still holds a place in Coro fans hearts. Everyone loves a bastard," she said.
"But the Baldwin dynasty is in good hands as Mike's son Danny has taken over the factory and he's a bit of a bastard too."
Throughout Baldwin's 30-year tenure on the programme, the cockney businessman has been linked to more than 25 Weatherfield women and married to four.
Herald on Sunday columnist and dedicated follower of Coro St, Wendyl Nissen, said Baldwin was an important character to have on the soap.
"Everyone loves that loveable rogue thing. It's through characters like that that you get the multiple wives and children."
Though Nissen was sad to see the passing of Baldwin (she confessed there were even some tears during last night's viewing), she said it was great to see the storyline unfold as it gave older actors the chance to shine.
"Not only did it get the best acting out of Johnny Briggs ever, but the older characters were suddenly back in the story instead of just being the old people in the background.
"It's the return of the geriatric actor on prime time television and I think that's very encouraging. Old actors can act too."
