Coronation Street’s Ben Price and Jack P Shepherd reveal how they found out Helen Worth was quitting after 50 years
CORONATION Street fans are preparing to say goodbye to a true soap legend as Helen Worth steps away from Weatherfield.
Her co-stars Ben Price (Nick Tilsley) and Jack P Shepherd (David Platt), who play her on-screen sons, recently shared how they were told the news.
Jack P Shepherd explained that he first heard about Helen’s decision around November last year.
He told listeners to his On The Sofa podcast: “She phoned us.
“First of all I got a missed call from her, and I thought, that’s a butt dial. So I blank it.
“Then I got a text from Tina saying, ‘Helen’s trying to ring you.’ So I thought, oh this is bad. So I phoned her.
“She said, ‘Oh hello hello.’ She’d told Ben, she’d told Tina.
“So I instantly now know she’s off. She says, ‘I’m going. I’ve decided to leave.’ She feels as though she’s done her time.
“Which is fine. So I say, ‘Great, fantastic, you’ve earned it.’ I mean bl**dy hell, if anybody else – 50 years in any gig is a long time.”
Ben Price also thought back to the bittersweet conversation, adding: “I think she was more nervous about ringing us than she was about leaving.”
Reports from the Sunday Mirror have suggested Helen’s final storyline will be as dramatic as her long tenure deserves.
Gail is rumoured to be heading toward a joyful send-off, with a final wedding on the horizon.
The wedding scenes are reportedly being filmed now, and Gail’s romance with a character named Jesse is expected to bring her a happy ending after years of tumultuous relationships.
When she announced her exit from Coronation Street publicly earlier this year, Helen told fans: “This year felt like the perfect time to leave the show after celebrating 50 years in the most wonderful job on the most wonderful street in the world.
“I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers who were very kind and understanding.
“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 past 50 years have flown by and I don’t think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.”
