9 November 2010 Last updated at 07:31 ET

Jack Duckworth's Coronation Street finale seen by 11m

Bill Tarmey's final scene was with on-screen wife Liz Dawn

The last scenes of veteran Coronation Street actor Bill Tarmey were watched by 11m people, according to overnight figures.

Jack Duckworth's final poignant moments saw him reunited with wife Vera (Liz Dawn), who left the soap two years ago.

Her exit was watched by an estimated 12.5m people.

Both long-standing characters were hugely popular with fans of the show and became affectionately known for their constant squabbles.

The Daily Mirror's Jim Shelley called Tarmey's exit "one of the most moving scenes ever seen in soap".

Brian Viner wrote in The Independent, that Brian Viner wrote in The Independent, that "Jack's passing was a celebration of everything that has made Coronation Street great".

Last week's first episode that was broadcast on Monday, attracted an audience of 10 million people and 9.2 million people tuned in for the second episode.

During Monday's second of two Coronation Street episodes, Jack's friends gathered in the Rovers Return to celebrate his 74th birthday.

Jack was eventually seen leaving the pub quietly before dying peacefully in the same armchair in which his wife passed away in January 2008.

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, Vera appeared at his side, chastising him for his scruffy appearance, before they danced together.

Jack Duckworth first appeared in 1979 but became a regular character in 1983, when he and Vera moved into a house on Coronation Street.

The actor had originally wanted to retire from the ITV show last year, but show bosses persuaded him to stay for the soap's 50th anniversary, which will be marked next month.

When his departure was announced in April, Tarmey said playing Jack had been "amazing".