Ben Price has revealed what he will miss most when Coronation Street co-star Helen Worth leaves the ITV soap.
The actress announced she’d quit the cobbles after 50 years back in June, with her character Gail Platt’s on-screen departure set to air in the coming weeks.
Her TV son Ben – who plays Nick Tilsley – spoke about her exit on his On the Sofa podcast he hosts with on-screen brother Jack P. Shepherd (aka David Platt) and co-star Colson Smith (aka Craig Tinker).
After Colson asked about the ‘one specific thing he’d miss most’, Ben replied: ‘I think for me, it’s that line, that line of “oh you’re in the Platts”. Helen and Sue [Nicholls, who plays Gail’s mum Audrey Roberts], they give you that feeling that once you start the scene and you’re with them, you’re in Corrie history, you kind of miss that.’
He continued: ‘Look, it’s going to be fine, it’s going to be a bit different and we’ve all been in Corrie long enough to make that again.
‘But, there is something pretty special about being with someone who has been there for 50 years. It’s pretty special, you’re not going to get that in many walks of life.’
Speaking about her departure in June, Helen shared: ‘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.’
Jack previously admitted he mistook a call from Helen to inform him of her decision to leave as a ‘butt dial’.
‘It was maybe this time last year. It was about November time and she rang us and I thought, that’s a butt dial. So I blanked it!
‘I then got a text from Tina [O’Brien] saying, “Helen’s trying to ring you”, so I thought this is bad. I phoned her and she said, hello, hello, I’ve told…she’d told Ben, she’d told Tina, so I instantly know what’s happening, she’s off! And she says, I’m going, I’ve decided to leave, and she feels as though she’s done her time.
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‘So I said great, fantastic, you know, you’ve earned it! I mean bloody hell, 50 years in any gig is a long time.’
Gail’s exit story was originally set to involve her reuniting with her former husband Martin Platt, but after Sean Wilson left the show after filming had started, the story was quickly redrafted and John Thomson was brought back as Jesse Chadwick.
The couple look set to tie the knot over the Christmas period, before leaving the cobbles together before the end of the year.
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX. On the Sofa with Colson, Jack and Ben is available on podcast platforms.
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