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Helen Worth: Gail Platt is ‘alive and well’

Helen Worth confirms Gail Platt will be back as she let slip her ‘Coronation Street’ character is "alive and well".
The 68-year-old actress – who is the third longest serving actor to appear on the cobbles after making her debut back in 1974 – says that while her alter-ego disappeared four weeks ago after a row with her on-screen mum Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), it isn’t the end for Gail.
Asked about her character’s status during an appearance on ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’, she stumbled before saying: "Well um, hmmm. I’m not sure I’m supposed to say.
"But I am still here and I am alive and well. I’m in Thailand. Everybody knows that."
Gail fled the street after her son Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) told her to stay away after his brother David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) didn’t help him during a prison incident.
Only Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) and Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) have being on the cobbles for longer – having debuted in 1960 and 1964 respectively – and Helen insisted she is "fortunate" to have enjoyed such longevity.
She added: "I have been fortunate to hang on this long. I am limping third behind. Happily."
The ‘Corrie’ mainstay doesn’t take her work home with her, and joked her husband Trevor Dawson would have left her if she was anything like Gail away from the set.
She said: "I just go to the dressing room, take off Gail’s clothes, put on mine and go home. That’s it.
"You’d go potty. If I went home as Gail I don’t think I’d have any friends … or a husband. I know her [Gail] very well and more importantly I know all the wonderful people I work with."