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Coronation Street’s Helen Worth was left in tears when she finished her final scene for the soap’s Christmas special as she said goodbye after 50 years on set.
The soap star, who famously played Gail Platt, had her memorable exit aired on Wednesday as she said goodbye to the iconic cobbled streets.
In a behind the scenes look at Helen’s last moments on set, her last lines were delivered in a scene featuring all her family in the Platt’s living room.
But Helen, 73, was unaware that hundreds of other cast and crew had gathered in secret to give her a rousing send off.
When Helen noticed the huge number of her colleagues gathered behind the cameras, she got tearful as the applause and cheering rung out across the studio.
Her voice breaking with emotion, she said: ‘The reason I’ve been here all these years, and it’s a lot of years, It’s more than I can think about really, is because of all of you people that have been here for, well, some of you for all of those 50 years and others for half of that time.
Coronation Street ‘s Helen Worth was left in tears when she finished her final scene for the soap’s Christmas special as she said goodbye after 50 years on set
When Helen noticed the huge number of her colleagues gathered behind the cameras, she got tearful as the applause and cheering rung out across the studio
‘But I couldn’t have done any of it without you. I really couldn’t. You are the most amazing team of people, and I really do say thank you.
‘And as for this lot, who didn’t tell me (about this). Oh God, I love them so much. I don’t quite know what I’m going to do without you. But thank you for everything.’
Helen’s on screen mother, Sue Nicholls, then called for three cheers for Helen as the rest of the family fight back the tears.
Jack P Shepherd, who played her son David Platt said of the surprise: ‘It was important to us all that we were in her final scene and able to give her the send off she deserves.
‘All the other crews filming that day stood down and there were hundreds of people there to say goodbye.’
Helen played Gail for half a century and during her time on the show she has been married five times, including Brian Tilsey (Christopher Quinten), who was tragically stabbed to death, and Martin Platt (Sean Wilson), one of the soap’s long-serving characters.
Helen has been at the centre of an array of explosive storylines, including her daughter Sarah’s teenage pregnancy, and the death of her fourth debt-ridden husband Joe McIntyre (Reece Dinsdale) during a failed life insurance scheme.
One of Gail’s most iconic moments came in a 2003 episode when she found out her husband Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) was a serial killer.
When Helen’s scene was wrapped up for the final time, her last lines were delivered in a scene featuring all her family in the Platt’s living room
But Helen’s final scenes were shown on Christmas Day in an emotional moment that saw her start ‘day one of her new life’ with husband Jesse Chadwick (John Thompson) abroad.
And following the emotional episode, Helen took to X to thank fans and promised more Platt family storylines to come.
Dressed in a smart blue blazer over a bright red turtle neck and sat in her iconic living room, Helen said it had been a pleasure to work on the soap and be part of the Platt family for so long.
She said: ‘Hello all of you. It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to say ta ta.
‘It’s been a fabulous 50 years and I just wanted to thank all of you some of you who may have been watching for 50 – is there anybody?
‘And those of you who have been watching for a few years thank you.
‘Thanks for coming on the journey with me. I’ve had a wonderful time.
‘I’ve loved it, all the stories and of course it’s been wonderful working with the wonderful Platts which for me is what it’s all about and there’ll be more Platt stories and I hope you’ll be watching. Lots of love and thanks from me.’
Helen’s final scenes were shown on Christmas Day in an emotional moment that saw her start ‘day one of her new life’ with husband Jesse Chadwick (John Thompson) abroad
