Coronation Street’s Gail Platt’s best forgotten plots – murder, jail, fights and baby love triangle

As the legendary Gail Platt, Helen Worth has been through six surnames, two murder attempts, one wrongful imprisonment, untold catfights, and 4,454 episodes across 50 years.

It’s rather impressive for a role that was only meant to last six weeks. With news Helen’s quitting at the end of the year, we celebrate her highs and lows in front of and behind the camera. As Coronation Street’s most married female, there are many, many sides to our favourite Gail…

Teen rebel

Gail was first on screen in July 1974, as a minor sidekick friend of Tricia Hopkins. But Tricia left and Gail stayed, becoming friends with feisty Suzie Birchall as they lodged together at Elsie Tanner’s pad. The trio soon became one of the soap’s most popular households. Helen was 23 and had already starred in Z-Cars when she was hired to play the then 16-year-old Gail. Helen later said: “I initially joined for six weeks, but it’s so easy to stay here.”

Queen of the catfight

Don’t be fooled by her mild-mannered demeanour, Gail can’t resist a good scrap. Her most memorable fight was with Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) on the cobbles in 2004 while clad in her dressing gown. Helen donned knee pads, back pads and elbow pads to film the scenes. Sue said: “I was lying in the road. Helen was sat on top of me in her dressing gown. We said, ‘This is the most ridiculous way to pay the mortgage!’” Their 2015 hair salon fight involved shampoo bottles. And Gail once threw a cream pie in Deirdre Barlow’s face.

Style icon

The fashion for polo neck jumpers comes and goes, but clearly Gail didn’t get the memo. She even sported a natty purple turtleneck while in jail. Not everyone appreciates her knitwear. In 2021 it was reported that a woman had returned a cream M&S jumper to a charity shop because she’d spotted Gail wearing it. Helen once admitted: “If there’s something I really don’t like, I try to throw it out when the wardrobe department isn’t looking!”

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Gail with her mum, Audrey Roberts ( 

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Unknown)

Gail with first husband, Brian Tilsley ( 

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Mirrorpix)

Hopeless romantic

Gail’s had six unsuccessful marriages, including serial killer Richard Hillman and Joe McIntyre, who tried to fake his own death but accidentally killed himself. She married Brian Tilsley twice, before tying the knot with cheat Martin Platt, then had an ill-fated fling with her mother’s conman ex Lewis Archer before a final marriage to Michael Rodwell, who she met when he burgled her house.

In reality, Helen has only been married twice. Her 10 years with actor Michael Angelis ended in 2001, and in 2013 she wed husband number two, deputy headteacher Trevor Dawson, following a whirlwind romance. They met at a friend’s birthday party. “I just thank my lucky stars,” she said. “He’s gorgeous.” Unlike Gail, who’s mum to Nick, Sarah and David, Helen lives in London, doesn’t have children and doesn’t act like Gail in real life. “Heavens, no! You’d go potty,” she said. “If I went home as Gail, I don’t think I’d have a husband.”