CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.

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"A bad soap death is one that's so over the top, the spectacle overshadows what should be a tender moment, " says author Andrew Collins, the former EastEnders scriptwriter who killed off Nick Cotton's son Ashley (motorbike accident).

BBC: How to kill off a soap star

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Paula Newton and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.

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