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John Savident ( Fred Elliot)

(31 Posts)
Marilla Fri 23-Feb-24 13:19:38

I’m so sad to read that John Savident has died. He was one of my very favourite characters in Coronation Street.
I love Classic Corrie and Fred is currently at the heart of one of the storylines. What a great actor.

Chardy Sun 25-Feb-24 13:12:01

That was 25 years ago! But, as I believe the Daily Mail's obituary had a chunk on this, maybe this is considered 'current'.
He did quite a lot of theatre and had a TV/film career of nearly 200 roles including being in Gandhi and in The Remains of the Day. He hadn't been Corrie for nearly 20yrs, but Daily Mail wanted him remembered for a couple of hours in Dec 2000 with a salacious headline.

BigBertha1 Sat 24-Feb-24 09:48:20

I'm not a Corrie fan but John Savident was a very accomplished actor who appeared in many other things always very watchable. RIP flowers

Dickens Sat 24-Feb-24 09:23:48

Doodledog

I don’t think anyone has put him on a pedestal. The posts are expressing sadness at the death of an actor who brought pleasure to many in his role. He was human, therefore made mistakes in his life. If that made someone ineligible for sadness at their passing, there would be few mourners for any of us.

Thank you for expressing the sentiment I've been wholly unable to articulate.

When someone has just died, unless they have committed the most heinous crimes against a person or humanity I simply feel it's not the time for raking over their mistakes / bad choices, or whatever one wants to call them.

He and his wife managed to weather the scandal. I'm always aware that there are family involved in these things and what is printed in cyberspace can be seen by any of them. I'm sure they won't be scanning GN for comments, but it's the principle involved.

I believe the deceased should be allowed to be mourned and buried before his or her character is dissected.

Galaxy Sat 24-Feb-24 07:53:22

No I said I was sad, I dont think people have put fred from corrie on a pedestal grin, but I do think they did that with Benjamin Zephaniah which you know wasnt true. It is hard to get the right balance.

Doodledog Sat 24-Feb-24 06:18:32

I don’t think anyone has put him on a pedestal. The posts are expressing sadness at the death of an actor who brought pleasure to many in his role. He was human, therefore made mistakes in his life. If that made someone ineligible for sadness at their passing, there would be few mourners for any of us.

Dickens Sat 24-Feb-24 00:09:08

Galaxy

It's not cheating though is it. Its buying consent. It's very different to cheating.
I dont know what I feel about how to approach discussions on people who have died.
I stayed off the Benjamin Zephaniah thread because I thought it wasnt the moment to say he openly admitted to hitting women. But what happens then is those threads arent in any way truthful.
I enjoyed him on Corrie and I feel sad that he probably had to hide who he was.

It's not cheating though is it. Its buying consent. It's very different to cheating.

Well, yes, you're right, it is. I just didn't want to 'enlarge' on the matter on a thread about his death.

crazyH Fri 23-Feb-24 20:13:22

Oh dear - R.I.P. Fred 😢

Galaxy Fri 23-Feb-24 20:04:19

It's not cheating though is it. Its buying consent. It's very different to cheating.
I dont know what I feel about how to approach discussions on people who have died.
I stayed off the Benjamin Zephaniah thread because I thought it wasnt the moment to say he openly admitted to hitting women. But what happens then is those threads arent in any way truthful.
I enjoyed him on Corrie and I feel sad that he probably had to hide who he was.

Dickens Fri 23-Feb-24 19:11:12

LauraNorderr

I don’t think anyone has said that he deserved to be stabbed.
My point is that in spite of sleazy behaviour some still put these ‘celebrities’ on a pedestal.
There are others far more worthy of admiration. Just my opinion.

There are others far more worthy of admiration

Oh, I quite agree. But he's only being 'celebrated' for his (mostly it seems) appearances as Fred Elliot in Coronation Street because he's died.

I doubt we'd be talking much about him otherwise?

LauraNorderr Fri 23-Feb-24 18:54:21

I don’t think anyone has said that he deserved to be stabbed.
My point is that in spite of sleazy behaviour some still put these ‘celebrities’ on a pedestal.
There are others far more worthy of admiration. Just my opinion.

Dickens Fri 23-Feb-24 17:57:47

LauraNorderr

John Savident was stabbed by a rent boy he had invited back to his flat at 2 am for ‘theatrical discussions’. Presumably his wife and children were tucked up in bed at home.
Sorry to speak ill of the dead but how soon we forget.

Yes, he erred. It happens. Unwholesome as it is, it is not a criminal offence to cheat.

But he and his wife stuck it out together.

No-one deserves to be stabbed for going astray.

Dickens Fri 23-Feb-24 17:50:16

Aveline

Oh dear. I loved Fred Elliot, I say I loved Fred Elliot.

😄
That's witty Aveline!

RIP "Fred"

OldFrill Fri 23-Feb-24 17:30:10

LauraNorderr

John Savident was stabbed by a rent boy he had invited back to his flat at 2 am for ‘theatrical discussions’. Presumably his wife and children were tucked up in bed at home.
Sorry to speak ill of the dead but how soon we forget.

The perpetrator got 7 years in prison. Savident was lucky to live.

Sarnia Fri 23-Feb-24 16:44:10

He is Guernsey born and bred, like me. He and his family escaped at night in a small fishing boat, right under the noses of the German Army who had occupied the Channel Islands. While I was researching my family history I came across some information about their escape. I sent it to him and received a lovely, hand-written letter back.

LovesBach Fri 23-Feb-24 16:39:31

He was in Middlemarch too - played an absolutely repulsive character - I couldn't watch him eating.

Ailidh Fri 23-Feb-24 15:22:59

He was in Yes, Prime/Minister, called Jumbo.

Doodledog Fri 23-Feb-24 15:19:30

Wasn't he in St Trinians?

I've looked, and there is no mention of St Trinians - I must be thinking of someone else - but this is his filmography.

Aveline Fri 23-Feb-24 14:41:36

Oh dear.

LauraNorderr Fri 23-Feb-24 14:38:36

John Savident was stabbed by a rent boy he had invited back to his flat at 2 am for ‘theatrical discussions’. Presumably his wife and children were tucked up in bed at home.
Sorry to speak ill of the dead but how soon we forget.

Calendargirl Fri 23-Feb-24 14:37:44

I’ve a feeling he had a minor part in A Family At War, but might be wrong on that.

MissAdventure Fri 23-Feb-24 14:26:33

Oh!!!
That's a surprise!
I just wondered if he was one of those people who pop up in different films, over the years.
Thank you.

Ilovecheese Fri 23-Feb-24 14:22:38

MissAdventure

Was he in other TV programmes before corrie?

Apparently he had a small part in A Clockwork Orange!

BlueBelle Fri 23-Feb-24 13:56:15

Sad he’s died but I couldn’t stand him in Corrie

Ailidh Fri 23-Feb-24 13:53:01

Not a Corrie devotee but used to dip in the Fred Elliott/Ashley I say Ashley years. I loved the character and loved John Savident too. There's something about big men with booming voices that.....oooooh

Sad to hear he's died.

MissAdventure Fri 23-Feb-24 13:51:58

Was he in other TV programmes before corrie?