Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has spoken about the exit of his on-screen mum Helen Worth from the long-running show, after she played a role in his epic wedding.

The actor, who is famed for playing David Platt in the ITV soap, tied the knot to long-term partner Hanni Treweek in July in a stunning ceremony at Manchester Cathedral.

The nuptials came a year after Jack popped the question to Hanni on a dream safari holiday. At the end of their trip to Tanzania last summer, Hanni took to social media to reveal that Jack had asked her to marry him, and she said yes.

When the big day arrived, it was described as a “no expense spared” affair by one insider, with people waiting outside to get a glimpse of proceedings.

Jack and Hanni’s wedding was orchestrated by award-winning planner Liz Taylor’s and business The Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC). The couple worked closely with TLC from engagement through to their wedding day and praised the experience as “magical”.

The loved-up duo were joined at the celebration by some of Jack’s current colleagues, including Lucy Fallon, Alan Halsall and Tina O’Brien, as well as some of his showbiz pals, like Celebrity Big Brother co-star Chris Hughes.

There was also a happy reunion for Jack’s fictional family, as actress Helen was also in attendance. It was the first time the star had been seen publicly since she bowed out of Corrie at Christmas after playing soap icon Gail Platt for 50 years.

Now, Jack and Hanni have appeared on Loose Women on Thursday (September 4) in their first TV interview since their big day. Aked about Helen’s role in the special occasion, Jack said: “She gave a reading, she gave a bible reading. Ben [Price, who plays Nick Tilsely] gave a bible reading…”

He joked: “[We thought] let’s get the actors up.” Jack went on as he spoke about Helen: “I was 12 when I started, 25 years ago. It’s mad because I’ve done 25 and when I first started Helen had just done 25.

“It’s mad to think I’ve done the same length of time now as she did when I started. I saw her more than my real life family.”

Asked by host Kaye Adams what it’s like without Helen on the Corrie set, the soap star replied: “It just moves on the show doesn’t it in a way. Big characters have always been in it and come and gone. The show still carries on, it has to.

“You hope you have characters there to carry on the torch. The Platts is such a great family to be a part of and I’m lucky to be in that clan.”