Coronation Street Christmas Day full of 'betrayals' as Gail Platt says goodbye

Coronation Street's Christmas special is being pitched as "Old school Corrie with a modern twist" by the soap's new producer, Kate Brooks. Fans will be saying a tearful farewell to Gail Platt, played by Helen Worth, who is leaving after an impressive 50-year stint on the beloved show.

Previously involved with Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, Kate is now in charge of Weatherfield's most magical yet heart-wrenching festive season to date. Earlier this year, Helen Worth announced her departure as Gail Platt, marking an incredible half-century run. Producer Kate admits she’s "gutted" about her leaving but promises a fitting grand finale.

Kate says the Christmas episode aims to explore the Platt family intricacies while providing Gail with the phenomenal send-off she deserves, stating, "Christmas is all about tapping into the family dynamics of the Platts and trying to give the glorious Gail the exit she deserves. She's been such an icon on the street for such a long time. 50 years of television is amazing."

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The producer hints at a highly nostalgic Christmas Day episode: "We can't tell a story on Christmas Day about her exit without a feeling and being steeped in nostalgia and there's tonnes of nostalgia in this episode," Kate reveals.

While Gail's love life has often been tumultuous, it seems there could be hope for a happy ending following the return of Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson), with whom Gail recently got engaged. While Kate remains tight-lipped about whether a wedding takes place, she rounds things off by teasing an episode brimming with family drama, betrayals, and secrets: "It's a story about family and how secrets can impact and implode on a family. So there's a lot of betrayals, lots of secrets are exposed during this episode."

"She’s found out that some of her nearest and dearest have absolutely betrayed her. She doesn't know who to believe. She contemplates and questions everything and every decision she's ever made."

While Gail Platt's exit is a significant change for the family, the younger generations are preoccupied with their own dramas. Shona Platt (Julia Goulding), Gail’s daughter-in-law, spirals when David (Jack P. Shepherd) conceals prison visitation notes from her son Clayton, who killed David’s ex-wife Kylie. .

Meanwhile, Gail’s granddaughter Bethany (Lucy Fallon) finds herself in a love triangle with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) and Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan), a storyline set to continue into the New Year. Things aren't looking up for Gail’s son Nick either.

After a tumultuous 2024, Leanne Battersby’s (Jane Danson) year is about to worsen as she uncovers the secret relationship between her sister Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor) and her former fiance, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price).

Earlier this year, Leanne was duped by Rowan Cunliffe (Emrhys Cooper) into investing in his self-improvement organisation, the Institute. As if that wasn’t enough, it was then revealed her fiance Nick Tilsley was having an affair with her sister Toyah, leaving her heartbroken.

The pair then secretly reunited, and a classic Christmas showdown is on the cards. "I felt it was really important to kind of see a different side to Leanne. She's had a really tough year," reveals Kate. "Leanne really wants to make them pay and she is intent on getting her own revenge," Kate continues, "It can be at the detriment of her own kind of sanity sometimes."

As a long-time Corrie fan, Kate fondly recalls when Leanne and Toyah first arrived on the street in 1997, during the height of the Spice Girls era.

"Little Sporty Spice and Scary Spice came barreling onto the street. For me, just tapping into how they were and how they were as Battersbys was really important and that kind of all comes to the forefront on Christmas Day. It doesn't end well for anyone."

Meanwhile, Carla Connor (Alison King) and Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) might finally find their happily ever after. After months of uncertainty, their relationship will take centre stage over the festive period.

Fans have been cheering for this couple for months, and their patience will finally be rewarded. "Christmas will be when they really commit to each other, when they declare how they feel about each other, and when they stop circling each other and touching each other's hair," Kate chuckles.

Soap romances are never smooth sailing, and this one's no exception. DS Swain is still mourning her late wife, a casualty of her police work, while Carla is exploring new territory in her first same-sex relationship.

"We want to keep them secure. We want to keep them grounded. We want to make that relationship really believable, and it is like what I'm seeing on screen is fantastic between the two of them," Kate reveals, but she warns fans to brace for plenty of surprises. With a Christmas full of drama promised on the cobbles, Kate anticipates a whirlwind of emotions: "Hopefully people will be crying, they'll be laughing, there'll be gasps as people kind of watch and go, oh my goodness, that's just happened! I think people will really, really enjoy it."