Coronation Street spoilers follow for Tuesday’s (December 24) episode that is now available to view on ITVX. The episode in question will air on ITV1 on at 8:45pm.
Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) has been visited by the ghost of Christmas past in Coronation Street – her late ex-husband Richard Hillman (Brian Capron)!
Honestly, our jaws are still on the floor.
Brian, 77, has reprised his role to mark his former co-stars exit after 50 years on the show.
‘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’, Helen said in June.
‘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.’
Back then, we had no idea what her exit story would entail – and certainly not a visit from Hillman himself!
Long-term viewers will remember that the dastardly businessman killed a number of Weatherfield locals, including hairdresser Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw), and tormented Gail’s mum Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls).
He then kidnapped the whole Platt clan and drove them into the icy waters of a canal, though on that occasion he was the only one to perish.
In a nod to his watery comeuppance, Hillman was dripping in water and covered in algae as he stood over Gail in tonight’s episode.
She had lay down on the sofa after reminiscing through family photo albums, confident that her happy future with fiancé Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson) was now firmly off the cards.
Earlier, he’d been forced to come clean about being involved in her David’s (Jack P. Shepherd) plot to buy back No. 8 using cash that had been stolen from gangster Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor).
David had confessed all to Audrey – when he urged her to stop faking an illness to prevent Gail from moving away – but he urged her not to throw a spanner in the works and finally let his mum have her happy ending.
This is soapland, that was never going to happen!
Audrey arrived at Gail and Jesse’s farewell party at the Rovers, but not to give her blessing. Subsequently, Jesse has went home with ex-girlfriend Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) to spend the night!
He’s well and truly in the dog house, but will Gail forgive him before their big day?
Or could his head be turned by Eileen once again?
Most importantly, what words of wisdom will Richard Hillman impart onto her?
Christmas Day on the cobbles is bound to be an episode never to be forgotten, as we continue with Gail’s worst nightmare!
