[Smithy]

CORRIE legend Jack Duckworth will beg his girlfriend to help him commit SUICIDE after being diagnosed with incurable cancer, we can reveal.


But shocked Connie Rathbone refuses to risk going to jail - so he moves out and back in with his "adopted" son Tyrone.


During Jack's last days he secretly carries out kind acts for his Street neighbours to make them happy.


The plot comes after actor Bill Tarmey, 69, announced in April he was quitting as Jack after 31 years to spend more time with his family.


Bosses planned to kill him off in December's tram crash, which will wipe out several characters. But he now dies soon afterwards of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - in a dramatic storyline that will fuel the national debate on assisted suicide.


An insider on the ITV soap said: "Bill's been such a huge part of the show for so long that we wanted to give him a fitting send-off."

CORRIE’S sensational 50th anniversary “bloodbath” tram crash storyline will include a LIVE episode, The People can reveal.

Bosses want the show depicting the carnage seconds after the tram plummets off a viaduct to be the soap’s most dramatic and memorable ever.

Scenes will show popular Street characters lying dead or fighting for their lives amid utter devastation.

An insider said: “The cast were told about the live episode at an on-set *meeting on Monday. Producer Phil Collinson told them it was going to be the biggest TV achievement ever. And he made it crystal clear he wanted no mistakes. He said no one had ever attempted anything as daring as this before. Actors were given the choice to opt out, but got the feeling that to do so would create an extremely bad impression.

“And with all the uncertainty about who is being killed off, the pressure is on. No one wants to bail out of the live episode when their jobs might be at stake.”

The People told last week how Corrie legend Bill Tarmey – lovable layabout Jack Duckworth – is the first big name to emerge as a victim of the tram crashing off the viaduct over the cobbled street.

The crash will also claim a host of Street favourites with boss Collinson – dubbed CULLinson – telling stars: “None of you are safe.” The plotline will be played out over a week-long series of episodes in early December, culminating in the live 50th birthday show on December 9.

Collinson, 42, is going for maximum drama. Bosses want to bring in real police, fire and ambulance staff and vehicles for authenticity. Our source said: “There’s a real buzz around the live episode.

“Everyone wants things to go off without a single cock-up – no messed-up line or moving dead body.”

Coronation Street had a live ITV episode on December 8, 2000, as part of the show’s 40th anniversary.

I'm glad Jack's not being killed off in the tram crash, but it's gonna be really sad to see him pass away due to cancer.

And a live episode after the tram crash would be an amazing feat, if they managed to pull it off.