Soaps
On Wednesday, ITV announced that Jones - who played comic battleaxe Blanche Hunt in Corrie - had died at the age of 75.
Of her passing, Harvey told DS: "I am absolutely gutted. Maggie was a lovely lady, a proper actress and her delivery and timing were razor sharp."
He added: "I loved writing for Blanche as she could say the unsayable and you wouldn't hate her for it. Also, you always knew she'd deliver - and some! She's irreplaceable."
Yesterday, Jones's co-stars Beverly Callard and Jane Danson expressed their sadness over the loss of their friend and colleague.
Her final two episodes are due to air on Monday and Friday of next week.
> Corrie cast pay tribute to Maggie Jones
> In Pictures: Maggie Jones's Corrie career
> A look back at some classic Blanchisms
> Click here to leave your tributes on the forum
Related Stories
Soap Scoop
'Doctors' fire leads to terrible dangerMore details emerge of Doctors' big summer cliffhanger.
Soaps Interviews
'Hollyoaks': Joe Tracini interviewDigital Spy chats to Joe Tracini about a big week for Dennis Savage.
Soap Ratings
'The Apprentice' final hires nearly 7mEarlier, the BBC's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee entertains more than 10m.
Picture of the Day
POTD: Corrie's Rita is kidnappedRita's wedding day goes horribly wrong in Coronation Street tonight.
