Following the tragic death of Glee actor Cory Monteith on 13 July, Fox has released a 12 second ‘memorial card video’ to pay homage to the 31-year-old star.The short clip shows a series of close-ups of the Canadian actor, including backstage pictures with his Glee co-stars and behind-the-scenes footage.
The touching tribute also features an on-screen kiss between Cory and his girlfriend Lea Michele.
The couple's Glee characters, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, found love on the show; a romance that quickly translated into real life when Cory and Lea started dating in 2011.The video shows the pair sharing a passionate kiss as confetti falls around them, in a scene taken from the hit programme.
It ends with a written message: "Cory Monteith. Forever in our hearts. "Three weeks after her boyfriend's untimely death, Lea returned to work as production got underway on season five.
On 1 August, she updated fans as she joined fellow cast members on set. "First day at Glee today… And at my first wardrobe fitting for Rachel Berry for Season Five!," she tweeted. "I've missed her so much. "Lea was also pictured attending a baby shower for Sopranos actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler on Saturday. Wearing a pretty white dress, heels and sunglasses, she managed a smile as she arrived for the celebrations on the arm of her friend JoAnna Garcia Swisher.
Show co-creator Ryan Murphy has said that returning to work so soon will "help with the grieving process" and was approved by Lea and the whole of the Glee crew.The new season of the hit musical-comedy show will air on 26 September with Cory’s character written out of the third episode.