After 50 years of unforgettable drama, Coronation Street legend Gail Rodwell has said “au revoir” to her family in Weatherfield.

The soap icon made her final appearance in the Christmas Day episode, bowing out for a fresh start in France with her new husband Jesse Chadwick.

Helen Worth announced her decision to leave the ITV soap in June and fans immediately demanded a fitting exit plot for Gail, who’d appeared less frequently in recent years.

From there, things didn’t quite play out as many viewers had expected. Gail had an extended absence from our screens between March and September this year, meaning that her exit had a much shorter build-up than fans may have liked.

The situation grew more worrying when Gail’s originally-written exit storyline – a romantic reunion with her second husband Martin – had to be completely scrapped for off-screen reasons.

John Thomson was drafted in for a return as Jesse Chadwick, who was hastily retconned into being an old flame of Gail’s.

With Jesse now filling the “Martin” role in the storyline, scriptwriters had just a few episodes to establish a connection between the two characters ahead of their Christmas Day wedding.

Helen’s on-screen son Jack P Shepherd, who plays David, even stirred the pot by admitting that he had to nudge the writers into giving Gail a final scene with the full Platt family for Helen’s last day of filming after 50 years. With the on-set situation occasionally sounding chaotic, the signs weren’t looking too promising.

While it’s fair to say that the low-key atmosphere never really went away, there was still plenty to enjoy about Gail’s festive send-off.

Jan McVerry – widely regarded as one of Corrie‘s best writers – was on duty for the hour-long episode and her script was full of nostalgia and beautiful character moments.

The highlights were undoubtedly the heartfelt one-on-one scenes showing Gail sharing some final words with her closest family members.

Gail cheekily told each of her three children that they were her “favourite”, while she movingly described her mum Audrey as her “best friend”. Audrey responded by describing Gail as “the beat of my heart”, one of the night’s best lines.

The usually acerbic David swallowed his pride by telling Gail how much he’d miss her – a moment that was decades in the making.

Meanwhile, Gail also had a possible passing-the-baton moment with Sarah as she discussed the pressure to “carry” the rest of the family.

Plus, after years of voicing strong opinions over his love life, Gail mischievously informed Nick Tilsley that he could bring either Battersby sister to visit her in France. Maybe she’s finally learned her lesson about meddling…

David’s subsequent speech at the wedding reception, warmly paying tribute to Gail for her optimism and kindness, was clearly delivered with genuine real-life emotion by Jack P Shepherd. It’s an example of the beauty of soaps, where close relationships both on screen and off have the time and space to develop over many years.

There were other lovely touches too – references to Gail’s introduction as the quiet and mousy “Gail Potter”, revisiting her often-forgotten friendship with Sally, and delving into her feud with Eileen Grimshaw one last time. Plus, in a moment sure to be more divisive, Richard Hillman’s bizarre dream cameo.

In truth, there could have been even more to enjoy. Soap superfans would have happily watched a full hour of Gail simply enjoying her day and saying some longer goodbyes without interruption from other plots.

The other storylines featured in the episode – Leanne’s revenge against Nick, Daniel’s proposal to Bethany, and David’s dangerous showdown with Adam – could have perhaps been saved for another day, especially as Gail didn’t really show much reaction to the family dramas unfolding around her.

By all accounts, Helen Worth wanted a no-fuss exit and the modest star hasn’t done much publicity surrounding her departure. Jack P Shepherd has mentioned that Helen was even hesitant to have an on-set send-off, so the limited screen time and lack of fanfare may have partly been her own choice.

There were still some missed opportunities, though. Having Gail’s wedding in the Bistro yards away from her front door, rather than on a fancy location shoot, isn’t likely to calm the current debate over Corrie feeling claustrophobic with fewer off-site scenes.

The storyline device of Max compiling video messages from friends and family could have also been utilised to its full potential. A longer sequence of messages, perhaps featuring Gail’s reaction to some cameo appearances from familiar faces, would have arguably given her a more central role in her own send-off episode.

Despite any minor quibbles about the episode, there’s no denying that it was Helen herself who stole the show.

The soap legend’s final performances were truly moving as, overwhelmed by everyone’s love, Gail embraced the support of family and friends before heading off into the sunset for her much-deserved happy ending.

It’s truly the end of an era – for the Platt family and the soap world.