'My heart was pounding!' Cold Feet fans take to Twitter to share their shock at Pete's apparent suicide in a VERY tense episode of the ITV drama 

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A thrilling episode of Cold Feet left fans on the edge of their seats last night as central character Pete Gifford (John Thomson) appeared to take his own life. 

The dramatic scene in the ITV drama - which has been widely praised since its re-birth after a 13 year break - saw viewers taking to Twitter to share their disbelief that the popular character had committed suicide.

Writer Mike Bullen, who himself has suffered from depression, left fans of the show fearing the worst when Pete, dogged by despairing thoughts, headed to a quarry and appeared to jump.

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Last night's episode of Cold Feet left the hearts of many viewers pounding with a highly tense suicide scene in which fan favourite Pete Gifford (John Thomson) appeared to take his own life

The dream sequence saw Pete, who's been suffering from depression, lying lifeless at the bottom of the rock face, much to the horror of viewers

Reaction: Fans were shocked to see Pete taken to the brink in his battle against mental health issues

His blood-soaked body is then pictured lying on a rock... only for the real Pete to still be on the ledge above, looking down at what might have been.

Twitter user ‏@clairem68 said the scene made her cry and she was left raging at the drama: 'I actually shouted "No, Pete, please don't" at the telly.'

The highly tense scene, which was preceded by a hallucinatory car journey in which he was was joined by all of his family members and even another version of himself, left viewers wide-eyed and fearing the worse.

Pete, who's been tormented by mental health problems throughout the series, then  appears to jump after moments of contemplation from a craggy ledge into the abyss below. 

‏@tereb27 commented on the heart-in-mouth moment, saying: 'I literally stopped breathing when I thought Pete had snuffed it, great episode.'

The show portrayed Pete's intrusive thoughts via real-life appearances from other key characters in the show

Pushing the boundaries of reality, Pete sees his family turn against him...and even the appearance of himself as is dogged by negativity

@chickdawe6 was equally moved, writing: 'My heart just nearly sank when I thought Pete had died! I actually was holding my breath!' 

Aired on World Mental Health Day, Bullen and Thomson were praised for raising awareness about depression, with a deluge of tweets applauding the writing and acting.

‏@rebfleming_ penned: 'Pete's storyline in #ColdFeet has been the most accurate creative portrayal of depression I've ever seen on TV.' 

At breaking point, Pete heads for a beauty spot, where he ignores an onimous 'Danger - keep out' sign

Viewers said they watched, gripped, as Pete teetered on the edge of a very steep drop

The drama only intensified when Pete appeared to fall forward off the cliff edge. Unsurprisingly fans were convinced of his demise

‏@jomillerdonny added: 'Thought they handled Pete's depression really well - know from personal family experience just how hard this is.' 

‏@CounsellingLou agreed, saying: 'ColdFeet is wonderfully written and covers #depression and intrusive thoughts brilliantly.'

‏@ShaunKitchener heaped praise on the show too; 'The way #ColdFeet has handled Pete's depression storyline - particularly tonight - is SO good.'

Writer Mike Bullen revealed last month that the depiction of Pete's depression was too moving for him to watch, having himself suffered from mid-life depression.

Last week's episode of the show saw Pete's daughter Rosie being told that Pete wasn't her real father, a moment that came back to haunt him again in last night's show, when a vision of Rosie joined him in the car and taunted him

He said the scenes left him 'tearing up' and shone a light on his own mental health crisis which hit him in his late forties.

He told the Telegraph that around eight years ago, a struggle to write for an Australian television company left him 'barely able to stir from the sofa.'

He said: 'I was diagnosed as clinically depressed, sent home with a prescription for anti-depressants and an appointment with a psychologist.'

'For the next couple of days I was barely able to stir from the sofa. If Lisa [Bullen's wife] was popping out, to the shops, I had to know when she’d be back. Or I’d go with her, clutching her hand like a child fearful of getting lost.'

After a month on anti-depressants, he says the 'fog' began to lift and he emerged back into the world.

Bullen called actor John Thomson's portrayal of Pete's battle 'brilliant - vulnerable and human'. There are two episodes left in the current series.