ITV Coronation Street boss lets slip Gail's exit date - and fans don't have long to wait
Coronation Street legend Gail Platt (Helen Worth) will bid farewell to Weatherfield in upcoming scenes of the ITV soap after five decades.
The actress, 73, shared her plans to leave the long-running serial drama in June this year saying it was the "perfect time" to leave. After months of speculation of how Gail will exit the cobbles, it has been revealed exactly when the Platt matriarch's final scenes will air - and fans don't have long to wait.
During Friday's (November 15) special episode titled Coronation Street Live: Killer on the Cobbles, soap guru Sharon Marshall hosted a one-off programme following as Joel Deering's (Calum Lill) killer was finally revealed during the latest visit to Weatherfield.
As Corrie producer Verity MacLeod opened up about Joel's dramatic exit storyline, Sharon couldn't help but ask about Gail's pending departure. Verity explained: "I was first person to know. We had video call and it was an incredible moment. I've been a soap viewer in forever and she’s an icon.
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"To be the first person to know was incredibly emotional. We'll miss her terribly on and off-screen but we wish her the best and hope she enjoys her retirement."
Sharon probed further: "Any clues on her exit? Are you going to let her be happy?" Verity let slip: "We might. It’s a soap. You've got to tune in on Christmas Day. It will be brilliant."
Her entire exit storyline has not been revealed yet - but viewers have seen Gail get engaged one last time in the lead up to leaving Weatherfield forever.
Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson) recently returned to the cobbles after going on an off-screen adventure with Gail in Thailand. After breaking the news to her family that the pair are in a romantic relationship, Gail decided to take an even bigger step and proposed to her beau.
Previously discussing Gail's exit, Coronation Street's executive producer Iain MacLeod teased: "Gail won't die. It didn't feel like killing her off would be right. Gail's exit is a brilliant story. I thought, 'What do the viewers want to see?'
"Gail has had a hard life. She had a difficult childhood and disastrous marriages. So, we thought what viewers really want is a happy ending for her, so that's what we're doing."
Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX
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