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Coronation Street legend Helen Worth celebrates her golden anniversary on the show next month, and it will be a momentous occasion for her in more ways than one.
Not only will she be celebrating 50 years on the nation’s best loved soap, Helen will also be looking forward to a very different future, as she has made the difficult decision to step down from her role as Gail Rodwell at the end of the year.
Half a century after she first walked onto the cobbles, viewers will see Helen and Gail bid farewell to Weatherfield in a major storyline for the Platt family.
Helen will start filming her exit story next month and the emotional scenes will be on screen at the end of the 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 said: “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 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.”
8 comments:
I'm not surprised that Helen Worth is leaving as Gail hasn't been featured at all in recent storylines with the Platts.
That being said,Gail will be missed and wonder will she be killed off?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I LOVE OUR GAIL!!
Thanks to you, Miss Worth, for all of the wonderful years you have blessed us with your talents. You will remain in our hearts, thought and prayers, everafter.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
I think she'll either re-connect with a guy she met in Thailand and she'll go and live there with him or she'll get tangled up in Joel's interest in Bethany and will be killed off- in the process, saving her.
It says emotional scenes but not devastating ones, so I reckon she'll exit with a love interest.
If they leave it open, gail could occasionally pop back for weddings and Xmas.
Gail hasn't had any storylines for a good long while and I think the Corrie team were struggling what to do with her.
We never found out why the actress who played Aggie bailey left, did we?
End of an era! Gail was one of the very first faces in my childhood, along with Deirdre, Ken, Rita, Steve, Mavis etc.
I too hope Gail isn't killed off, though some of her actions over the years have really annoyed me. But she can't be blamed for the scripts. Though why write her out with a love interest? That's what's got her into trouble in the past. I'd rather she just decided to embrace life in Thailand - or anywhere - just for a change of lifestyle. Something for herself rather than the family.
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I agree Anon 10:33...she was the blonde ditzy girl who sold clothes and lodged with Elsie. End of an era indeed.
Aggie Bailey left because of her husbands foolish gambling again. IRL I believe there was an illness in her family.
Bye bye Gail Potter...you were a great sidekick for Alma and Sally...although you became a bit of a joke later in the program, you were still a fave when the old Gail shone threw. Happy Retirement Helen Worth!
ah right. Bobby dazzler thanks for clearing that up about the Aggie bailey actress. Her exit seemed so sudden.
We've lost Aggie, Lauren, Simon, Peter and Tracey - we're going to be losing Paul, Gail and Beth.
New people include Kit (who I reckon will get involved with Sarah) Joel, dee Dee & Glenda plus Lisa swain and her daughter.
Returns are in the pipeline for Summer and also Stu has returned, along with Nicky and Bethany.
Linda and Lisa Swain are to become firm members of the cast.
I am sad. They haven’t given her a good storyline for a long time. She has just been the butt of her families jokes and disrespect. Sorry to see her go.
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