Former 'Coronation Street' actor Charlie Lawson has blasted ITV's tribute to his late co-star Johnny Briggs branding it "half-a***d" and "disappointing".
Charlie Lawson
'Corrie' remembered Briggs' immense contribution to the soap as factory owner Mike Baldwin and to the world of film and TV on Monday night (29.03.21) in a half hour one-off special entitled 'Johnny Briggs: Coronation Street Legend' which featured interviews with his castmates and a trip down memory lane remembering some of most famous storylines.
However, one viewer who was not impressed was Charlie who felt the programme did not give Johnny his due respect as an actor.
The official 'Coronation Street' Twitter account shared a clip ahead of the episode airing along with a post that read: "Join us after the break for a special tribute to Johnny Briggs and his enduring legacy as Coronation Street legend, Mike Baldwin."
Charlie - who played Jim McDonald, the husband of Beverley Callard's character Liz McDonald, across several stints on 'Corrie' - replied to that tweet with a scathing attack on the show, insisting it had diminished Johnny's achievements as an actor.
He tweeted: "Half a bloody hour and no mention of his movie career, apart from some half a***d crap about Carry On movies. Very disappointing."
Johnny spent 30 years on the cobbles as Mike between 1976 and 2006 and remains one of the soap's most iconic characters.
His exit from the show attracted an audience of 12 million, as his character died of a heart attack in the arms of his long-time on-screen rival Ken Barlow (Bill Roache), whom he had fought with for the attentions of Deirdre Barlow - who was played by the late Anne Kirkbride.
His filmography also included roles in 1957 movie 'Second Fiddle (1957), 1960's 'Sink the Bismarck!' and 1960 comedy 'The Bulldog Breed' as well as roles in three 'Carry On' movies.
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