Coronation Street's Jodie Prenger addresses icon's future on the soap after being left 'gutted' by news

Coronation Street star Jodie Prenger has addressed fans' fears that another icon could end up leaving the soap as she said she was 'gutted' by the news of Helen Worth's exit. It was confirmed that Helen will stop playing the ITV soap's Gail Platt at the end of the year.

The acting legend joined the show at 23 years old in 1974, which was 14 years after viewers were first introduced to the people of Weatherfield. She will soon mark five decades of playing the Platt matriarch who over the years has 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.

However, as Helen marks her major soap milestone, she will also be looking forward to a very different future, as she has made the difficult decision to step down from her much-loved role at the end of the year as it was confirmed that the the 73-year-old will start filming her exit story next month and the emotional scenes will be on screen at the end of the year.

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Speaking at the Tric (Television and Radio Industries Club) Awards on Tuesday (June 25), which took place at Grosvenor House in London, Jodie, who plays Corrie's Glenda Shuttleworth, was asked about her colleague's imminent exit to which the actress and singer said she was "really, really gutted" upon hearing the news.

Revealing she and Helen had shared a table in the green room, Jodie told The Sun: "She's lovely and grounded and everything you want a Corrie legend to be. It's a massive, massive loss but she's one of these iconic women that have paved the way for other women to come and surround her. She'll be a great loss, but I hope we can carry the torch for her."

Jodie, 45, also addressed speculation that fellow Corrie star Sue Nicholls could follow Helen out of the soap after fans feared for the beloved star. Sue, now 80, began playing Gail's mother Audrey Roberts in 1979, a few years after Helen had joined the soap herself.

When asked about the theory, Jodie replied: "I think she'll stay." She then added: "I'd love everyone to have an experience - I know you can buy the Corrie Street tour, but I wish you could buy the Corrie Street green room. Just have a cup of tea with them, they're lovely. Dead normal, dead grounded, no airs, no graces..."

Confirming the reason behind her exit, Helen previously said in a statement: "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."

She added: "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."