Coronation Street fans have tissues at the ready ahead of Gail's exit while, off-screen, Helen Worth received a proper send-off with a backstage bash with her co-stars.
The actress, 73, was said to be on her way out of Coronation Street in June, 2024, after 50 years of portraying the headstrong Gail Platt. But while ITV viewers will have to wait for her exit storyline to unfold, Helen Worth filmed her last scenes on the Manchester-based show in late October, 2024.
And after facing the camera for the last time, Helen and her co-stars celebrated the end of an era by heading to Nick's Bistro, a staple on the cobbles, where she paid tribute to Gail's five ex-husbands - Brian Tilsley, Martin Platt, Richard Hillman, Joe McIntyre and Michael Rodwell - with a T-shirt.
Recalling the moment, Helen's on-screen son Jack P Shepherd explained that she had walked into the Corrie restaurant to the soap's iconic theme tune before revealing the garment, which featured all of her ex-husbands' names.
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ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Spilling the beans during another instalment of the On The Sofa podcast, which he hosts with Corrie co-stars Ben Price and Colson Smith, the David Platt star said about the T-shirt, according to The Sun: "I thought that was a nice touch, that was quite amusing."
"Then she gave a little speech and thanked everybody and said what a marvellous time she’d had and she’s going to miss everybody — there were lots of tears. She didn’t want a fanfare. So we kind of convinced her to do something because it was for everybody."
Helen's other TV son Ben Price, who has portrayed Nick Tilsley since 2009, added, when explaining why the cast and crew had to hire a private room: "You don’t want to make too much of it, but if you don’t have a private room, you’ve got a whole table of The Platts. It’s just awkward."
"It’s The Platts' Christmas do and it just stops a place. It was a really personal moment for us all. I think she had a really good send-off. We’ll miss her", the actor then concluded.
Helen confirmed she would be leaving Corrie and revealed what had pushed her to make the decision in a statement: "This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world. I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers who were very kind and understanding."
"I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out, and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew. The past 50 years have flown by and I don't think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet." Theories around her exit have since been shared online, amid Jesse Chadwick's surprising return to the cobbles. But how will it play out?
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