Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver ‘to take key role in Gail’s exit storyline’ as Sean Wilson replaced

Eileen Grimshaw will likely now play a key role in Gail Platt’s exit storyline on Coronation Street.

John Thomson – who played electrician Jesse Chadwick on the ITV soap – will reportedly be making a return to the Cobbles as part of Gail Platt’s exit storyline and during a chat on Good Morning Britain today, it was seemingly confirmed that would be the case.

Entertainment reporter Richard Arnold revealed to viewers he had chatted with Sue at lunch earlier in the week and she said she was excited about John making his return to Weatherfield. Jesse joined the soap back in 2008, before returning the year later. He had ended up in a relationship with Eileen – who famously has a long running feud with Gail.

With news that Sean Wilson – who played Martin Platt – has stepped down for personal reasons, it has now seemingly been confirmed that Eileen (Sue Cleaver) will have a big part in Gail’s exit storyline if her former lover is returning.

Bosses were forced to make huge changes after Sean stepped down from the soap due to personal reasons.

“It’s been an absolutely frantic, incredibly stressful past couple of weeks for Corrie bosses and scriptwriters. So many new departure storylines for Gail were mooted but they were set on a love interest one – which proved tricky as she buried five of her six ex-husbands. And the remaining living one, Martin, was obviously axed in real life. They wanted a recognisable name and plumped for John as his character was popular with viewers and a real blast from the past,” a source told The Sun.

Earlier this year, Helen Worth shocked fans when she announced she would be stepping down after 50 years.

Speaking about her decision to leave after five decades, she 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.”