Coronation Street has explained why Gail Chadwick isn’t rushing home from France after her family’s fire drama.
Gail has been missing in action this week after her old home went up in flames and her grandson Max Turner was left fighting for his life in hospital.
Of course, the real-life reason for Gail’s absence is that legendary cast member Helen Worth – who played her for 50 years – has only just left the show.
In the fictional world of Corrie, however, it may have seemed unrealistic for a family-focused character like Gail to stay away while her loved ones are in such turmoil.
Wednesday’s episode cleared this up with a helpful on-screen confirmation that the Platts haven’t told Gail about the fire.
Sarah and Audrey discussed the issue at the salon, with Sarah suggesting that it might be a good idea to let Gail know about the unexplained arson attack against her family.
Audrey replied: “Yes, we will – when things get brighter. Max is stable according to Shona – and quite honestly I don’t see what Gail can do, my love.
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“Six months ago your mother had a heart attack, so I don’t want to stress her out and give her another one, alright?”
Helen Worth’s heartwarming final scenes as Gail aired on Christmas Day. Gail bowed out from Weatherfield for a fresh start in France with her new husband Jesse.
Corrie‘s executive producer Iain MacLeod later teased that he’d been in secret talks with Helen over possible returns in the future.
He told the Daily Star: “Helen and I have had a conversation where she’s said, ‘There might be times in my future when I’ll come back’.
“If there’s a big storyline going on with the Platt family, she might want to come in and play a role in that.
“We certainly wanted to leave the door open so that was possible. We wanted that to still be on the cards.”
