SOAP star Charlie De Melo looks unrecognisable as he poses with former co-star and real-life love Georgia Taylor.

Charlie, 34, is best known for playing Imran Habeeb on Coronation Street, but he was tragically killed off the soap in 2022.

Coronation Street star Charlie De Melo looks unrecognisable two years after leaving the soap

Coronation Street star Charlie De Melo looks unrecognisable two years after leaving the soapCredit: Rex
Charlie is best known for playing Imran Habeeb on Corrie

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Charlie is best known for playing Imran Habeeb on Corrie
He starred alongside his real-life girlfriend Georgia Taylor

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He starred alongside his real-life girlfriend Georgia TaylorCredit: Instagram
Imran suffered a cardiac arrest after being involved in a car crash with his wife.

42-year-old Georgia plays his on-screen wife Toya Habeeb. While her character may be widowed on the soap, Georgia and Charlie’s love life is thriving off the screen.

The pair confirmed their romance in February 2023 and have since shared plenty of sweet snaps of their life together.

But this week, now two years on from his departure from the cobbles, Charlie shared a shot of himself looking worlds away from his soap character on Instagram.

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The couple looked unrecognisable as they posed alongside their pal as Mario Kart characters.

Charlie was suited and booted in green as he dressed up as Luigi, while a friend cos-played as Mario alongside him.

Toyah joined them, dressed as Luigi and Mario’s faithful ally, Yoshi.

The trio were all smiles as they jumped around the garden in their costumes.

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“It’s-a-he! Mario!” Charlie wrote alongside the fun photos, and his former TV co-stars were quick to chime in.

“You enjoyed this way more than anyone else,” Jack P. Shepherd, who plays David Platt in the soap, commented.

Charlie was unrecognisable as he dressed up in a Mario Kart costume

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Charlie was unrecognisable as he dressed up in a Mario Kart costumeCredit: Instagram
Charlie cos-played as Luigi while Georgia rocked a Yoshi costume

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Charlie cos-played as Luigi while Georgia rocked a Yoshi costumeCredit: Instagram
But Jane Danson, who plays Georgia’s on-screen sister Leanne Battersby, replied: “One of my fav pics of all time!” (sic)

“Love this!” added former Corrie star Bhavna Limbachia, who played Charlie’s sister Rhana Habeeb.

Sally Carman-Duttine, who plays Weatherfield’s Abi Webster, also shared: “I actually can’t cope with this.”

Charlie left Coronation Street in 2022
Charlie’s character, solicitor Imran, was first introduced to ITV viewers in November 2017, as he was seeking solace from his failing marriage to Sabeen.

Coronation Street fans heartbroken by shock death – as they spot clue proving Toyah is a murderer

However, after less than five years, Charlie was ready to bid Weatherfield goodbye.

Speaking about his exit to The Sun and other press, Charlie admitted that “a multitude of things” convinced him it was time to pack up and leave.

However, he’d originally planned to leave much earlier than he did, confessing he wanted to quit in 2019.

“I did find it difficult and as I was heading towards the end of that second year, I made the decision to move on, to draw a line under my time in Manchester.”

But as the year 2020 began, the decision was taken out of his hands by the Covid pandemic and he chose to remain in Weatherfield until things settled down.

“It was the more sensible choice to stay.”

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“The subsequent few years since have been such a joy and then it got to a stage where I was enjoying myself over there.”

Time went by and, soon enough, the pandemic quietened down, leaving Charlie to make a big decision about his future, resulting in his character’s death.

Most devastating soap deaths

SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.

Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.

EASTENDERS

Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.

Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.

Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.

Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.

He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.

Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.

CORONATION STREET

Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.

When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.

Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.

In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.

EMMERDALE

Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.

He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.

Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.

Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.

Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.

HOLLYOAKS

Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.

Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.

Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.