Coronation Street actress Debbie Rush has revealed that her son William has died at the age of 31, just days before Christmas.
The 59-year-old, best known for portraying Anna Windass in the ITV soap, shared the devastating news on Instagram, confirming William passed away on December 17.
"Our beautiful baby boy, William, passed away on 17th December. As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss," she wrote.
Ms Rush disclosed that her son had chosen to become an organ donor, describing it as "the most precious gift of all" during the family's darkest moment.
Debbie Rush shared the sad news on Thursday
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"Through being an organ donor, he has given hope and life to other families, thinking of others right to the very end," she added.
No cause of death has been announced.
William had carved out his own acting career, appearing in numerous television productions over the years.
His most prominent role was as Josh Stevenson, the son of English teacher Tom Clarkson, in BBC One's Waterloo Road, where he featured in 70 episodes between 2009 and 2013.
Prior to that, he portrayed Ali Duncan in seven episodes of Grange Hill from 2005 to 2007, and also secured parts in Shameless, Vera and Casualty.
In 2014, he followed his mother onto the Coronation Street set, appearing in an episode of the long-running soap.
Two years later, William tried his hand at singing, auditioning for The X Factor in 2016 with a rendition of Zara Larsson's Lush Life.
He progressed through to the six-chair challenge stage before being eliminated by the judges.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Debbie Rush's decade-long stint on Coronation Street began in 2008
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Ms Rush's decade-long stint on Coronation Street began in 2008 when she joined the cast as Anna Windass, remaining with the show until 2018.
Her most memorable storyline saw Anna stab villain Pat Phelan, portrayed by Connor McIntyre, in a dramatic climax to her character's arc.
The actress married her husband Andrew in 1989, and the couple have three children together: Poppy, William and Tom.
Acting talent runs in the family, with daughter Poppy also pursuing a career in front of the camera and appearing in multiple episodes of Coronation Street alongside her mother.
William credited his headteacher Cherie Rivero at Bamford Academy in Rochdale for inspiring his acting ambitions after she encouraged him to audition for a school production of Oliver, in which he played the Artful Dodger.
Tributes have flooded in from colleagues across the television industry following the announcement.
Sally Dynevor, who plays Debbie Metcalfe in Coronation Street, wrote: "Oh Debbie I'm so shocked to hear this news. Sending you so much love. What a beautiful boy he was."
Jack P Shepherd, known for his role as David Platt, described the news as "devastating" and said he was thinking of the family.
Debbie Rush's son William had starred in Waterloo Road and other television shows
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Brooke Vincent, who portrayed Sophie Webster on the soap, offered her condolences, writing: "I am so sorry for your loss, sending you so much love."
Katie McGlynn, who starred alongside William in Waterloo Road as Jodie "Scout" Allen, remembered him fondly: "Will brought a smile to everyone's face and was a very kind soul."