ITV honours Gail Platt’s legacy as actress Helen Worth leaves Coronation Street after 50 years

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ITV has honoured Gail Platt’s legacy after actress Helen Worth has announced she’s bidding farewell to the cobbles after 50 years.

It’s officially the end of an era.

While that phrase gets thrown around quite often these days, this time we genuinely mean it, as after five decades of stellar service on the nation’s favourite TV soap, it’s time to say goodbye to the absolute icon that is Gail Platt.

We already knew that the Coronation Street legend would be celebrating her golden anniversary on the Manchester-based show next month, but now, it’s been announced that this milestone will be a momentous occasion for actress Helen Worth in more ways than one, as her 50th year on the show will also be her last.

Not only will Helen be celebrating 50 years, she’ll also be looking forward to a very different future, as ITV says she’s “made the difficult decision” to step down from her role at the end of the year.

A statement breaking the news released by ITV today reads: “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 she feels like this year is the “perfect time” to leave the show.

Helen continued: “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.”

ITV pays tribute to Gail Platt’s legacy as actress Helen Worth leaves Coronation Street after 50 years / Credit: ITV

Paying tribute to the character of Gail Platt and her legacy ahead of her final scenes airing later this year, Coronation Street’s 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.

“Her ill-fated marriage to Richard Hillman was one of the most groundbreaking 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.

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“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.”

Featured Image – ITV