Coronation Street icon Helen Worth quits soap as she bows out after 50 years as Gail Platt

Coronation Street icon Helen Worth has announced her plans to quit the show as she marks 50 years of playing Gail Platt. She will celebrate her golden anniversary on the show next month (July) and it is is set to be a momentous occasion for her in more ways than one.

Not only will she be celebrating 50 years on the ITV soap, Helen will also be looking forward to a very different future, as she has made the difficult decision to step down from her role as Gail Rodwell at the end of the year.

Half a century after she first walked onto the cobbles, viewers will see Helen and Gail bid farewell to Weatherfield in a major storyline for the Platt family.

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It has been confirmed that Helen will start filming her exit story next month and the emotional scenes will be on screen at the end of the year.

Speaking of her upcoming exit, Helen 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.”

Executive Producer Iain Macleod commented: "The words ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ get used a lot these days but they genuinely do apply to Gail and to Helen Worth. However, given her humility, I know