Coronation Street’s Gail Platt unrecognisable as she marries first husband 50 years ago (Image: ITV)
Helen Worth, who has portrayed Gail Platt on Coronation Street for an impressive five decades, is set to bid adieu to the iconic cobbles and embark on a tranquil life in France with her new spouse.
Gail, smitten as ever, is slated to find her happily ever after this Christmas Day as she prepares to walk down the aisle once more, this time with former child entertainer Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson). However, familial tensions are anticipated to run high due to their disapproval of her impending nuptials.
Hints suggest that Gail’s son, David Platt (Jack P Shepherd), will be hell-bent on sabotaging her wedding to Jesse. The question remains: Will the Platt clan allow Gail to tie the knot, or will she depart Weatherfield solo?
Long-time viewers will recall that this isn’t Gail’s first trip to the altar; in fact, her upcoming marriage to Jesse marks her sixth. Gail Potter, then a young woman, arrived in Weatherfield in 1974 and tied the knot with Brian Tilsey (Christopher Quinten) five years later, soon welcoming their son Nick.
The couple later had a daughter, Sarah Louise (Tina O’Brien). Unfortunately, Gail and Brian’s marital bliss was short-lived, ending just shy of their 10th anniversary in 1988.
Coronation Street’s Gail is unrecognisable in her first wedding (Image: TV Times/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Throughout their union, financial disputes were a recurring issue. When their relationship soured, Gail embarked on an affair with her husband’s cousin Ian Latimer (Michael Loney), leading to their eventual divorce.
In a surprising turn of events, Gail and Brian remarried after the birth of Sarah.
Sarah’s paternity was initially uncertain until a blood test confirmed Brian as her biological father, though some family members harboured doubts. In a tragic twist in 1989, Brian was fatally stabbed outside a nightclub while defending a woman from a gang.
Will Gail finally find her happy ending with Jesse? (Image: ITV)
A year later, the bereaved Gail wed her second husband Martin Platt (portrayed by Sean Wilson). Their marriage lasted from 1990 to 2000, ending due to Martin’s affair with Rebecca Hopkins (Jill Halfpenny).
Gail’s third husband, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), is perhaps the most memorable. They married in 2002, but within a year, Richard confessed to murdering his ex-wife and their neighbour Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw).
In 2010, Gail tied the knot with kitchen fitter Joe McIntyre (Reece Dinsdale). Unfortunately, he was burdened with debt and tried to stage his own death, resulting in Gail’s arrest for murder.
Coronation Street actors Helen Worth and Chris Quinten in character as Gail and Brian Tilsley during their on-screen wedding in 1979 (Image: TV Times/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
She was eventually cleared when it was revealed that Joe was alive, but he later took his own life.
In 2015, Gail seemed to have found her happily ever after with Michael Rodwell (Les Dennis), but this too ended in disaster.
Their marriage barely lasted a year before he tragically died of a heart attack, caused by the actions of serial killer Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre).
Will Gail finally find her happy ending with Jesse?