Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has offered his take on who will emerge as the Platt family glue after Gail Rodwell’s exit later in the year.

The actor, who plays David on the ITV series, has weighed in on what will be of the Platts once Gail, portrayed by soap stalwart Helen Worth, bows out. Shepherd doubts David will fill in the role of his mum in keeping the family together and

believes that his sister Sarah may rise to the occasion.

“I don’t think he’ll become the glue, I think if anyone that’s going to have to be Sarah, it will be the middle child’s responsibility, as it is in every family,“ he said.

“I think Nick will have his own thing, and he’ll bob in, bob out whenever needed. But ultimately, he’s got the bistro. He’s got loads of problems with Leanne and Toyah. So he’ll have his own world to worry about,“ he continued.

Shepherd said David has “too much on his plate“ amid his mum’s health scare and the confrontation with her new partner Jesse Chadwick, who finds the money David took from Damon.

“The thing is for David there is a lot more stuff going on than his mum meeting a new man and talking about leaving Weatherfield and that is all about to start unravelling. He and Shona are about to be tested and of course he has the secret about Damon’s money so I think he might have too much on his plate,“ the actor added.

“Sarah is always the one that ends up trying to pull everyone together and imagine it will fall to her again.“

Earlier this year, Worth announced she’d be exiting Corrie, leaving the role of Gail behind after 50 years.

“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 soap star said in June.

“The past 50 years have flown by and I don’t think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.”