Malcolm Hebden, who plays fan favourite Norris Cole in Coronation Street, is reportedly taking an extended break from the show. The 78-year-old, who has been part of the ITV soap's main cast for over two decades, hasn't confirmed when he will return to the show. HELLO! reached out to ITV who confirmed that Malcolm is not currently filming, but declined to comment further. Fans have been supportive of Malcolm's break, with one tweeting: "Enjoy your break & take it easy if you're not feeling up to it," while another added: "Oh bless Malcolm. I for one ADORE Norris and cannot believe he's 78. He doesn't look a day of it. Hope he gets better and soon."
Malcolm is taking a break from the show
Malcolm was recently the victim of a death hoax, and his co-star Sally Ann Matthews took to Twitter to reassure fans that the reports were false, replying "thankfully not" to a fan who had asked her if he'd died. She added: "Click bait. If more journalists wrote interesting, accurate, articulate articles then this phrase wouldn't exist. We'd click because we would enjoy, appreciate, be educated by what we read."
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Fans have been supportive of Malcolm's break
Norris' notable storylines include him being kidnapped by Mary during a holiday back in 2010. In recent years. he has acted as her rock, however, even dressing up as Batman to protest against Jude and Angie taking Mary's grandson George back to South Africa.