In a move that has left fans both shocked and nostalgic, actress Helen Worth has announced her departure from the long-running soap, after playing Gail Platt for 50 years.
Of course, being the iconic character that she is, her exit from the show will follow “a major storyline for the Platt family”, which is being filmed in July.
In a statement to ITV, Helen said: “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.”
Throughout her career (since joining the show in 1974), Worth has received numerous accolades for her work, including The British Soap Award for Best Storyline in 2000 and the Outstanding Achievement award in 2014 (after four decades on the cobbles).
Gail Platt storylines
Half a century on the Street comes with plenty of storylines to sink your teeth into, and Gail certainly had some great ones!
Executive Producer Iain Macleod said: “In Helen’s hands, Gail has been a huge part of Coronation Street for five decades and at the centre of some of the most memorable storylines - often deriving from her catastrophically bad luck in choosing husbands!
“Her ill-fated marriage to Richard Hillman was one of the most ground-breaking stories in soap history and cemented Gail’s already established status as one of the Corrie greats. As the matriarch of the Platt clan, her affectionately prickly relationships with her kids and flighty mum Audrey epitomise what makes the show great: complicated family dynamics brought to life impeccably by Helen’s dramatic and comedic chops, alongside those of her fictional clan."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcZ9SRd9eAM
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV and film. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking and spending time with her many pets.