Coronation Street’s Jack P Shepherd mistook Helen Worth’s exit announcement for a butt dial
Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has revealed how he reacted to the moment Helen Worth attempted to tell him about her exit.
We say attempt, because he didn’t actually answer when she rang him the first time!
This year, Helen will leave her role as Gail Platt. A few months ago, her departure from the ITV soap was confirmed.
‘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,’ she said. ‘I made the decision at the start of the year and spoke to the producers who were very kind and understanding.’
Jack, who plays Gail’s son David in the show, recently reflected on the news during another episode of his podcast On the Sofa. He hosts it with his co-stars Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Ben Price (Nick Tilsley).
When asked about how he learnt of Helen’s exit, Jack explained: ‘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 blank 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.
‘So I said great, fantastic, you know, you’ve earned it! I mean bloody hell, 50 years in any gig is a long time.’
Ben added: ‘I think she was more nervous about ringing us than she was about leaving!’.
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.
At the end of October, Gail left her family terrified when she suffered another heart attack, and was rushed to hospital. Thankfully, the surgery to insert a stent was a success, and Gail woke up, keen to see her loved ones.
Gail confessed in a chat with Jesse that she had been terrified that she was going to die, and as her life flashed before her eyes, her happiest moments were of her and Jesse in Thailand.
Viewers will know that Jesse and Gail had a holiday romance while abroad in 2021, and have been seeing each other occasionally ever since.
The pair recently agreed to make their relationship official, but Gail took things a step further during her hospital stay by asking Jesse to marry her.
Jesse was caught off-guard, and assumed that it was the painkillers talking. When he later returned to her bedside, he was surprised when Gail referenced their earlier conversation, pointing out that he wasn’t sure she’d remember after the painkillers had worn off.
Gail insisted that she did remember and that she meant every word, revealing that she would love to be able to call him her husband.
Though Jesse pointed out that her kids didn’t exactly approve of their relationship, he explained that no one makes him happier than she does, and accepted the proposal.
