Coronation Street fans were left in tears on Wednesday night as one of the soap’s long-running stars made their departure after 39 years on screen.

The character, who first joined the ITV show in 1986, was seen packing up all their things and saying goodbye in emotional farewell scenes.

It came as a shock to viewers, as the low-key storyline saw the character decide to move away with the help of a one-way ticket bought just hours before.

The exit for the character followed a long spiral since losing the role as the landlady of the Rovers Return – when the pub was put on the market earlier this year.

Sally Ann Matthews’ Jenny Connor first found herself in trouble when Carla, played by Alison King, was forced to shut the local to build back the money Jenny stole.

She was stripped of her status behind the bar before going on to take shifts in the Kabin alongside Barbara Knox’s Rita Tanner.

But sorting newspapers and keeping sweets stocked on shelves wasn’t enough to satisfy Jenny, who was soon looking to Rita for help.

To make matters worse, Jenny had been caught up in a messy romance back and forth with Tony Maudsley’s George Shuttleworth, whose eyes were currently on Jenny’s rival Christina Midgeley, played by Amy Robbins.

In a plan to garner sympathy from George, Sally’s Jenny had even gone as far as to lie about the seriousness of Rita’s recent fall – but the lie was soon uncovered.

Rita was quick to confront her surrogate daughter about her behaviour, demanding she faced up to the way she had been acting and sort herself out.

It was then that Jenny admitted she had been struggling with feeling unfulfilled, and no longer knew who she was –  and begun thinking about moving to Tenerife.

Struggling to abandon Rita, Jenny was pushed along by George who secretly explained her difficulty in taking the final step to the shop keeper.

Rita was then seen handing Jenny the money for a one-way ticket to the sunny destination to start her life over.

Handing her an envelope of cash, Rita said: ‘It’s for a flight – one way. It’s time you start liking yourself again and I don’t think that’s something you’re getting round here.

‘Who wants to spend life being grateful? And if you do stick around here long enough it’ll be my turn.

‘I’ll be fine without you, love. And besides, I’ll come and see you for a holiday soon.’

After struggling to accept the help, and make her decision, Jenny finally announced she would be leaving as the episode came to a close – and it wasn’t the only change.

The character revealed to Rita she would once again go by her maiden name of Bradley for her new life abroad.

Holding onto her Rovers’ licence plate, the symbolic scene saw Jenny admit: ‘This was Jenny Connor’s gaffe, the next place will be Jenny Bradley’s.

‘Because one thing I know about her, she can show up some place and make things happen.

‘If I can go from being a slip of a barmaid at Bet Lynch’s beck and call to landlady, clanging that bell every night then there ain’t nothing I can’t do.’

Before leaving for her fresh start, she’s then seen putting her nameplate in the rubbish around the side of the Rovers Return.