Coronation Street's Gail Platt's memorable moments and forgotten storylines as she leaves Weatherfield after 50 years

Shockwaves went through the soap world this week when Helen Worth announced she'd be quitting Coronation Street after five decades on the famous cobbles. The actress, as many know, is famed for playing Gail Platt in the ITV soap having joined back in 1979.

Helen was 23 years old when she took on the role of Gail, who was 16, and is said to have been initially intended to be a very minor character, a friend of the more established character Tricia Hopkins, who was introduced as part of a new family.

The Hopkins family made little impact on the show, and, after they were written out, Gail went on to become one of the most popular and high-profile characters in the history of the series.

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The Platt matriarch has over the years endured a number of failed romances, prison time, near-death experiences, drama with her children and recently found out her brother was a serial killer. But that'll all change this year when Gail leaves Weatherfield in what is being called an 'emotional' storyline.

Speaking of her upcoming exit, Helen, 74, has 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."

But, following the news, it gave fans the perfect opportunity to remember Gail - and Helen's - best and most memorable moments on Coronation Street, as well as being reminded of some of those forgotten storylines from over the years.

When Gail went to jail

Gail shockingly ended up in prison after being wrongly charged with the murder of her husband Joe McIntyre in 2010. It came after Joe decided to fake his own death because of his mounting debts. But, while on board a boat, Joe accidentally drowned and Gail was arrested for his murder when witnesses revealed she had been seen arguing with him earlier.

She was put behind bars and Tracy Barlow shockingly lied that Gail had confessed to killing Joe. But luckily, Gail was later found not guilty in court and released.

And it wasn't just fans who feared the worst as it was revealed Gail would end up in prison. Helen said at the time: "My first thought when I heard it was, 'oh my goodness, I’ve been written out!' I was genuinely anxious as to whether it was the end of the road for me and Coronation Street."

Filming for the scenes took place in a real jail – Styal Women’s prison in Cheshire – and Helen met real inmates. "They were shouting, ‘free Gail! Free Gail!’ when they saw me," she previously recalled.

When Gail became a grandmother

Back in 2000, in what was deemed a controversial storyline at the time, Gail was stunned when it was revealed her teenage daughter Sarah was pregnant.

Gail had become suspicious of her daughter after she stopped eating and took her to the doctor with the concern she had an eating disorder. However, Gail - and viewers - were shocked when it was revealed that Sarah was five months pregnant, with her daughter Bethany being born four months later.

When she delivered one of the most powerful monologues the soap has heard

Corrie was nominated for a BAFTA for the scene in which Gail movingly reflected on the death of Aidan Connor, who took his own life in a tragic soap storyline in 2018.

It showed her watching out of the window of her home, No. 8 Coronation Street, whilst talking to her mum Audrey Roberts and her words continued to play out as other residents of Weatherfield reacted to the heartbreaking news of the sudden death.

Gail said: "40 odd years I’ve lived on this street. That same view, every day. I practically know every cobble back-to-front. I like to think we look out for each other ’round here and without being nosey, know what’s going on in each other’s lives… but you don’t, do you? Not that I knew him that well. Just to say 'hello' to really, but he was always polite with me, which is more than you can say for some folk. I hope I’d have listened, if he ever wanted to speak to me. Not that he would’ve done."

She continued: "I wonder when he did it. When I was reading the kids a bedtime story? When I was getting ready for bed? When I was having some toast this morning? Or was I sleeping? Safe, in here with the double glazing and the central heating thinking our problems are bigger than everybody else.

"Well, ‘appen we’ve all been sleeping mam. I can’t stop thinking about poor Johnny [Connor, Aidan’s dad]. His son’s not coming home tonight. I just hope to God mine is."

When Gail was almost killed by her husband with her entire family

In probably one of the most memorable stunts in soap history, Gail was once seen plunging into the canal alongside her children. It was the act of Richard Hillman, who turned out to be a serial killer.

Back in 2002, Gail thought she had finally found happiness after the murder of her first husband Brian and finding out that her second spouse Martin Platt had been cheating on her. But Gail soon discovered that Richard had bumped off his ex-wife - as well as Maxine Peacock - and also tried to kill her own mum and neighbour Emily Bishop.

Gail quickly ended the marriage. However, Richard's reign of terror continued when he kidnapped her, her children David and Sarah and granddaughter Bethany. He then planned to kill himself and take them all with him, but when he plunged the car they were in into the canal, it was only him who didn't survive.

When Eileen and Gail had fight

They probably should get along famously, given that they have such chequered family lives in common, but Eileen Grimshaw and Gail Platt have never seen eye to eye.

And their most famous scrap came after Gail discovered that Eileen's son Todd had been cheating on her pregnant daughter Sarah with Karl Foster and stormed round to number 11 in her dressing gown. More than 12 million viewers tuned in to see all hell broke loose when Todd revealed that he was gay back in 2003.

When Gail quite liked singing

She may have been through the most terrible torments, including being married to a murderer and having another husband bumped off by a serial killer, but she's always chirpy is our Gail Platt.

And we know when long-suffering Gail is happy because she sings her heart out to whoever will listen. Katy Perry's Firework while preparing toast was a particularly uplifting highlight. But, as a grumpy David entered the kitchen, he was far from impressed with his mother’s singing abilities.

When Gail accidentally shot Lorraine Kelly with an arrow

In an unexpected crossover, self-confessed soap fan Lorraine Kelly found herself with a cameo in the long-running show back in 2019. The Platt family were on a holiday together when Gail, who is a huge fan of the presenter, was seen hoping to catch a glimpse of her after hearing she was in the same resort.

However, when taking part in a little bit of archery, disaster struck when a distracted Gail let her arrow loose into a tent. Lorraine was heard crying out in pain before she limped out shouting at a shocked Gail: "You daft wee woman, you could have killed me!"