Coronation Street fans have been left baffled by Gail Platt’s (Helen Worth) lack of screen time ahead of her exit next week.
Viewers have been asking ‘where is Gail?’ as the Platt family matriarch appears to be increasingly absent from her own exit storyline, which is currently playing out.
It was announced back in June that actress Helen Worth is set to leave the ITV soap after 50 years before Christmas.
Upcoming scenes will see Gail marry Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson), who previously appeared on the ITV soap from 2008 to 2010.
It’s set to be an emotional affair for all concerned, and in true Platt fashion it doesn’t go without a hitch – not only does her mum Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) deal a troubling ultimatum, but Jesse’s lies begin to unravel before the big day.
Viewers of the ITV soap have seen her son David (Jack P. Shepherd) conceal Damon Hay’s (Ciaran Griffiths) secret stash of money that he stole earlier in the year.
The cash was intended to be used for Bethany Platt’s (Lucy Fallon) recovery following botched surgery in Turkey, with Damon offering it to her mum Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien).
David discovered where it was hidden and planned to use it to buy his family home – with Gail selling up to move to the south of France.
Jesse is well aware of his plot, with everything set to be exposed next week.
In actuality, Jesse was hastily written into Gail’s exit story, as it was originally due to see her reunite with ex-husband Martin Platt (Sean Wilson).
However, Sean suddenly left when historic allegations of sexual assault came to light, with all of his pre-filmed scenes scrapped. Charges have since been dropped against the star.
Voicing their thoughts on X, fans have pointed out Gail has not had much in the way of screen time in her final weeks.
One viewer wrote: ‘Where is Gail?? 50 years in the show and this is how she is being written out?’
Another said: ‘Sorry, but where is Gail and why is her fella hanging out with her kids without her?! It’s all a bit bizarre.’
A third opined: ‘The way they are going they could quite easily have Gail’s last episode without her.’
Another remarked: ‘Another episode about Gail – without Gail.’
One fumed: ‘Gail’s exit should have been a huge TV event after 50 years on the show.’
‘I thought we’d be getting a Goodbye Gail documentary’ cried another, as someone replied: ‘They could at least repeat the 40 years of Gail documentary from 2014.’
‘The way her leaving should have been Corrie’s biggest story of the year. Actually it should have been the biggest of any soap. I don’t even mean in terms of a big sensationalist plot, but just love for the character. Sounds like she’s been a glorified extra in her own exit’ fumed another.
There is one surprise in store next week when her murderous ex-husband Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) makes a ghostly return from beyond the grave.
But what sparks such a vision?