Tragedy on Ken and Deirdre's big day

Deirdre Barlow's ex Ray Langton finally exits her life for good on her wedding day.

12:25 09 April 2005

Deirdre Barlow's ex Ray Langton finally exits her life for good on her wedding day.

As the bride celebrates her second-time-around wedding to stuffy Ken, her first husband Ray Langton collapses, clutching his chest.

The party in the Rovers Return is brought to an abrupt halt this weekend, as Ray (Neville Buswell) slumps in a booth, dead. Daughter Tracy (Kate Ford), who Ray abandoned when she was a year old, rushes to his side.

Ray left Weatherfield for Holland in 1978 and returned to Coronation Street recently when he found out he was dying of cancer.

Deirdre looked radiantly happy on Friday at her fourth wedding, but viewers will see her look horrified as ex Ray dies at the reception as the other guests look on in horror.

Tracy's troubles are only just beginning with the death of her father after it emerges he has ordered a flatpack coffin, which she has to assemble.

A show insider told The Mirror: "This is the Street at its best. The excitement of the wedding, the tragedy of Ray's death, the farce of the DIY coffin...it has everything."

The soap marriage had to be carefully edited earlier this week after the royal wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles was postponed by 24 hours at the last minute.

Meanwhile, Kate Ford has agreed to extend her contract for at least another year The actress had planned to leave the soap in November, but will now stick around Weatherfield into 2006.

Following Ray's death, Tracy will dump her new lover Nathan Harding and tempt back Steve McDonald.