Coronation Street fans miss nothing – and some have spotted an intriguing addition to the show’s set that could be a huge clue to how legendary character Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) leaves the show later in the year.
Back in June it was announced that the ‘Street legend would be leaving her role after 50 years.
As fans mourned the loss of such an icon, they also wondered how soap bosses would manage to write out such a titan. It’s no easy task!
Original plans were due to see her ex-husband Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) return.
After being back on set and recording scenes, Sean was suddenly dropped from production for ‘personal reasons’. With scripts hastily altered, his part will now be fulfilled by comedian and actor John Thomson, who is reprising his role as Jesse Chadwick after 14 years.
Hopefully – despite the changes – executive producer Iain Macleod will stick to his confirmed ‘happy ending’ for Gail.
‘Gail won’t die. It didn’t feel like killing her off would be right’ he told the Daily Star.
‘Gail’s exit is a brilliant story, I thought what do viewers want to see?
‘[She] has had a hard life. She had a difficult childhood and some disastrous marriages. So, we thought what viewers really want is a happy ending for her, so that’s what we’re doing.’
One thing that does seem certain is that Gail will be selling up in the coming weeks ahead of her big Weatherfield departure.
A behind-the-scenes snap from Channique Sterling-Brown, who plays Dee-Dee Bailey, has confirmed that No. 8 Coronation Street is for sale and there is an estate agents sign in the front garden.
She captioned the Instagram story: ‘Nothing like a night shoot to make you regret dancing until 2am’, with a crying emoji.
The house has been residence of the Platt clan since 1991, when newlyweds Gail and Martin moved from 33 Hammond Road, which was elsewhere in the fictional town.
It remained in the hands of Gail until 2013 when she sold to son David (Jack P. Shepherd) and his wife Kylie (Paula Lane).
Viewers of the ITV soap will remember that devious Ray Crosby (Mark Frost) purchased all of the properties on one side of the street back in 2021, in a bid to demolish and redevelop the area as a mixed-use commercial, leisure and residential space.
When he was exposed as a criminal, his assets fell into Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) hands, she put everything he owned up for sale. There was a tense bidding war between David and his neighbours, the McDonalds, over who would buy No. 8 – but Gail ended up putting in the winning price at auction.
Details surrounding why she decides to put the house on the market remain to be seen, but we do know that the plot line kicks off in the coming weeks.
Channique’s gloomy picture was quickly picked up online by fans, with one writing: ‘Gail’s put her house up for sale!’
