Charlie Condou - who plays Marcus Dent in Coronation Street - has spoken to ITV's Good Morning Britain about the terror he felt when he discovered his newborn son Hal - now a healthy toddler - had a collapsed lung.

The devoted dad, 41, said: "He had a week in intensive care when he was born and that's a horrible time for any parent.

"We knew fairly quickly he was going to be okay but the last thing you want to see is your newborn in intensive care with tubes and on morphine.

"He's absolutely fine now."

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Charlie, who also has four-year-old daughter Georgia, has now made the division to quit Corrie after seven years on the cobbles.

And it's all because he wants to spend more time with his family in London.

He said: "It was really sad and a difficult decision."

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"But I'm based in London... my kids, my partner, my family...

"I think once I'd made the decision I realised it had to be sooner rather than later."

Charlie's character is set to flee Weatherfield when his relationship with Todd Grimshaw breaks down.

However the door has been left open for Marcus to return.

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"They were really nice, they said they've left the door open for me, so you never know what might happen in the future."

As show bosses have teased that the character's exit will divide the street, it seems like the repercussions of Charlie's decision to leave the show will continue on, even after Marcus has walked away from Weatherfield.