Coronation Street’s Gail Platt’s exit storyline revealed after Helen Worth quits soap – and it’s set to be historic
CORONATION Street’s Gail Platt is set to marry for the SEVENTH time before her swansong from the cobbles.
Actress Helen Worth has quit her iconic role after 50 years playing unlucky in love Gail and now reports suggest she will don one more wedding dress before she bows out.
Gail has already been married six times – with only one husband surviving her.
She first married Brian Tilsley – twice – before he was murdered, she then tied the knot with nurse Martin Platt but split over his affair.
Gail moved on with Richard Hillman, but their marriage ended when he was exposed as a serial killer and died trying to kill Gail and her family.
Joe McIntyre was next but he died while trying to fake his own death in an insurance scam, and her next husband Michael Rodwell, a burglar, died of a heart attack at the hands of serial killer Pat Phelan.
The Sun exclusively revealed how Martin star Sean Wilson was making a shock comeback to reunite with Gail but just days into filming the comeback was axed by bosses with Sean quitting for “personal reasons”.
John Thomson was hastily drafted in as a replacement with him reprising his role as children’s entertainer Jesse who bosses say met Gail in Thailand – despite not crossing paths in Weatherfield.
And now according to the Sunday Mirror, Gail is set to find happiness with Jesse before leaving Weatherfield for good.
A source told the publication: “Helen and Gail have been part of the fabric of Coronation Street since 1974, so only a truly big exit storyline would be fitting for her.
“The wedding scenes are being filmed at the moment and when they air, viewers will be gripped.
“As with any soap wedding, they will have to wait to see whether Gail makes it down the aisle or not.
“And with a character as popular as her, they will be hoping she finally gets a happy ending.”
Announcing her exit earlier this year, 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.”
Executive Producer Iain Macleod added: “The words ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ get used a lot these days but they genuinely do apply to Gail and to Helen Worth.
“However, given her humility, I know Helen won’t thank me for saying so! 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.
Gail's biggest Corrie storylines
Over the years the character of Gail Platt has been the centre of several major plots.
Here we take a look back over actress Helen Worth’s biggest storylines:
Teenage daughter’s pregnancy
One of Gail’s most controversial storylines was in 1999.
It came when her 13-year-old daughter Sarah became pregnant.
Multiple marriages
Gail holds the record for the series’ most married female character.
She has been wed a whopping six times, each one worse the last.
Married to a serial killer
One of Gail’s multiple marriages saw her wed Richard Hillman, who turned out to be a serial killer.
At the climax of the storyline, 19 million fans tuned in to watch Hillman drive his wife and her family into a canal.
Scrapping on The Street
Gail has proved over the years she can’t resist a good scrap.
Her most memorable bust-up saw her attack Eileen Grimshaw on the cobbles in 2004 while in her dressing gown.
Jail bird
In 2010, Gail found herself wrongly banged up in jail.
She was wrongfully arrested for murdering her 4th husband Joe McIntyre.
“Gail has given us countless hours of entertainment but it should also be said that Helen herself is a consummate professional and a thoroughly good egg.
“Everyone connected to the show will miss having her around the place just as much as the viewers will miss having her on their screens and we wish her all the very best for the future.”