Coronation Street fans were left disappointed after being given an update on Gail Platt who exited the Cobbles last year after five decades.
Gail Platt left the cobbles last year after five decades(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street has provided fans with a surprise update about the legendary character Gail Platt. First introduced in 1974 and portrayed by Helen Worth, mother-of-three Gail, who was known for her notoriously bad love life, evolved into one of the ITV soap’s most beloved characters after 50 years on the show.
Gail’s time on Coronation Street was never dull, entwined with the eventful lives of her onscreen children David, played by 2025 Celebrity Big Brother winner Jack P Shepherd, Sarah, portrayed by Tina O’Brien and Nick, played by Ben Price, as well as dramatic plot twists involving murder and sizzling affairs.
However, in June last year, fans were taken aback when Helen announced she was finally leaving the show after five decades. The 73-year-old actress 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.”
Gail Platt left the cobbles at Christmas with Jesse(Image: PA)
The storyline of Gail’s exit centred around her wedding to Jesse Chadwick. Her farewell was beautifully encapsulated in a special hour-long Christmas episode, which saw her depart Weatherfield to begin anew in France with her partner, Plymouth Live reports.
Despite occasional mentions after her exit, only last month did David, Shona, and their kids make a visit to see Gail.
The Platts have been through a series of dramatic events including their house catching fire, David contemplating taking his own life, and Max, portrayed by Paddy Bever, ending up behind bars due to David’s questionable activities with criminal Harvey Gaskell , played by Will Mellor.
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As a result, the family took a much-needed trip. On the episode broadcast on Friday April 25, viewers saw David and Shona return to Weatherfield after taking time out to visit Gail.
Arriving at Sarah’s, David voiced his contentment at being home, although he couldn’t help mentioning that Gail had “been doing his head in by the end of it.”
Shona teased back: “Oh she’s just happy,” which prompted David to question: “If she’s happy why does she have to ask us so many questions all the time?”
Gail’s son David and wife Shona visited Gail during Friday night’s episode(Image: ITV)
Shona quipped in response: “Oh because there’s quite a lot to catch up on: the house burning down, Max going to prison.”
To which David replied sarcastically: “Well we sent texts, she knew all that.”
While many fans were excited to see David again, some felt a pang of sadness that Gail did not make a comeback alongside him.
Over on a Coronation Street fan page on Facebook, one viewer remarked: “As much as I’m glad David is back, I was really hoping Gail would be there too.”
Another shared their disappointment: “Yeah I was heartbroken to not see her ngl.”
A third fan noted: “Same here. I keep expecting to see her pop up.”