Coronation Street is bringing back a former star to replace Sean Wilson in Gail Rodwell’s exit storyline.
After 50 years, Gail actor Helen Worth is leaving the soap, and Wilson was set to appear on screen again as Martin Platt.
However, an ITV spokesperson told Digital Spy over the weekend that “Sean Wilson has stepped down from filming for personal reasons”, with no further comment.
With all of Wilson’s filmed scenes scrapped, The Sun has reported that comedian and Cold Feet actor John Thomson is set to reprise his role as Jesse Chadwick.
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Thomson has actually played two different characters across the years. He first portrayed a biker named Gary in 1990, before playing children’s entertainer Jesse between 2008 and 2010.
During Jesse’s time on the cobbles, he had a failed romance with Eileen Grimshaw.
The publication suggests that Jesse could have a fling with Gail, which would create one final comedic spat with Eileen for Gail before she leaves.
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Although the story is undergoing some radical changes, one thing that will remain the same is that Gail won’t get killed off.
Executive producer Iain MacLeod said: “Gail won’t die. It didn’t feel like killing her off would be right. Gail’s exit is a brilliant story. I thought, ‘What do the viewers want to see?’.
“Gail has had a hard life. She had a difficult childhood and she disastrous marriages. So, we though what viewers really want is a happy ending for her, so that’s what we’re doing.”
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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