Malcolm Hebden, best known for playing Norris Cole on Coronation Street, has largely stepped away from the spotlight since retiring from acting in 2021. The 81-year-old actor made his first appearance as the iconic busybody in 1994 and appeared in over 1,600 episodes before his character was killed off-screen in 2021.
Hebden's departure from the soap was prompted by a near-fatal heart attack in late 2017. He later told the Blackpool Gazette that he had suffered a silent heart attack that tore a hole in his heart, requiring groundbreaking surgery. The procedure used tissue from a cow to 'wallpaper' his heart, and he spent nearly three months in hospital before being discharged in February 2018.
After a brief return to Coronation Street in March 2019, Hebden made his final on-screen appearance in June 2020. Norris Cole's death from a stroke was announced the following year. In January 2021, Hebden confirmed his retirement, telling The Sun: 'I absolutely adored playing Norris and I was pleased to be able to return briefly after my operation. It took a great deal of courage to make the decision to retire.'
Since retiring, Hebden has made occasional public appearances. In October 2023, he featured in the documentary special 'Barbara Knox at 90', celebrating his former co-star's 90th birthday. More recently, in 2025, he visited the Coronation Street set to support Sam Aston, who plays Chesney Brown, while Aston competed on Dancing on Ice. The pair reminisced about their early days on the soap, with Hebden affectionately referring to Aston as his surrogate grandson.
