ITV Coronation Street star Carol Royle shares husband's tragic final moments after freak accident

Coronation Street actress Carol Royle, 70, has shared the heartbreaking final moments of her husband Julian Spear's life. Julian, a prominent figure in the music industry, tragically passed away on December 9 following an accident at his local David Lloyd health club.

Carol announced the devastating news on Facebook, later providing more details about her sudden loss. "I am desperately sorry to post that we lost my wonderful husband, Richard Spear, today, 9th December," she wrote.

"Perfectly fit man but jumped into a freezing outdoor pool which he assumed was heated as per usual yesterday, and he developed a sudden massive brain haemorrhage - our hearts are aching," she posted on Facebook on Tuesday, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.

Read more Gino D'Acampo makes statement about ITV show after 'inappropriate behaviour' claims

She made a similar post on Julian's own Facebook page, revealing that she was already making arrangements for his funeral. "I shall put details here eventually - the funeral will be after Christmas," she wrote alongside the sad announcement.

In her post announcing Julian's death, Carol described him as "perfectly fit". The musician appeared to have been very active in the days leading up to the tragic incident, posting on social media and attending events.

"He was the healthiest person you could meet, he ate organic wholefood. He was a keen jogger, he would run every day. He used to cycle to the shops rather than drive and he'd go for a walk after every meal," she told the Daily Mail, reports the Mirror.

In a Facebook post dated the 6th - just three days before his untimely death - Julian revealed that he and Carol had attended a charity event for dogs, rubbing shoulders with other celebrities. "Lovely event tonight for the K9 Angels dog charity as a church in Chiswick with the missus, Eamonn Holmes, members of S Club 7 and various sizes of hound dogs! " he penned alongside snaps of Carol, This Morning's Eamonn, and the charming dogs represented by the charity.

Despite his ordeal at the pool, Carol disclosed that he remained active on his last day. Julian drove himself home, "managed to make himself a spot of lunch and then went to his office to put stamps on those Christmas cards," Carol told the Daily Mail.

The actress recalled hearing him call out for her, only to find him collapsed downstairs. She added: "He complained of feeling poorly and that he'd lost his balance. He said that the room was spinning so much he didn't want to open his eyes."

Carol narrated how an ambulance rushed him to hospital, but surgery wasn't possible. Tragically, he passed away the day after his initial pool visit. Looking ahead, Carol reminisced about meeting Julian as teenagers and marrying in 1977, sharing many years together.

The couple have two children: son Taran, and daughter Talitha. As Julian spent his last moments working on the family's Christmas cards, Talitha confessed her concerns about facing the festive season without him. "I don't know how we are going to deal with Christmas this year. It just won't be the same. The Christmas cards we were about to send to friends and relatives abroad are still in the same place on his desk untouched from Sunday," she revealed.

With Julian's funeral scheduled for after Christmas, Carol warned her loved ones that she would be taking a break from social media. However, fans will still see her on screen in the run-up to Christmas following her return to the cobbles for episodes airing this month.

Just four days ago, she posted on Facebook: "Back in Corrie again for a number of episodes starting 11th Dec... message me if you're interested in dates xxx" Carol reprised her role as Anthea Deering, mother of Joel Deering. After Joel's murder, his parents, Anthea and Gus, arrived in Coronation Street to invite Dee-Dee Bailey to a memorial service for Joel's birthday.

They soon discovered that Frankie, who Joel and Lauren Bolton welcomed, is their grandson. In the storyline, Gus and Anthea sought legal advice regarding access to their young grandchild. After Max allows them to spend time with the newborn baby, the couple suddenly vanish, leaving those around them questioning their intentions. Lauren, who is currently incarcerated, later learns that bruises were found on Frankie's body.