TV & Showbiz
A legend is bidding farewell.
Emily Sergeant -5th June 2024
ITV has honoured Gail Platt’s legacy after actress Helen Worth has announced she’s bidding farewell to the cobbles after 50 years.
It’s officially the end of an era.
While that phrase gets thrown around quite often these days, this time we genuinely mean it, as after five decades of stellar service on the nation’s favourite TV soap, it’s time to say goodbye to the absolute icon that is Gail Platt.
We already knew that the Coronation Street legend would be celebrating her golden anniversary on the Manchester-based show next month, but now, it’s been announced that this milestone will be a momentous occasion for actress Helen Worth in more ways than one, as her 50th year on the show will also be her last.
Not only will Helen be celebrating 50 years, she’ll also be looking forward to a very different future, as ITV says she’s “made the difficult decision” to step down from her role at the end of the year.
ADVERTIsem*nT
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) June 5, 2024Helen Worth to Bid Farewell After 50 Years on the Cobbles.
Read more:https://t.co/rER6oJrVlJ#Corrie pic.twitter.com/mFcbNh8H0P
A statement breaking the news released by ITV today reads: “Half a century after she first walked onto the cobbles, viewers will see Helen and Gail bid farewell to Weatherfield in a major storyline for the Platt family. Helen will start filming her exit story next month and the emotional scenes will be on screen at the end of the year.”
Helen said she feels like this year is the “perfect time” to leave the show.
ADVERTIsem*nT
Helen continued: “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. I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out, and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew.
“The past 50 years have flown by, and I don’t think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.”
Paying tribute to the character of Gail Platt and her legacy ahead of her final scenes airing later this year, Coronation Street’s Executive Producer, Iain Macleod, said: “The words ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ get used a lot these days, but they genuinely do apply to Gail and to Helen Worth, however given her humility, I know Helen won’t thank me for saying so.
ADVERTIsem*nT
“In Helen’s hands, Gail has been a huge part of Coronation Street for five decades and at the centre of some of the most memorable storylines.
“Her ill-fated marriage to Richard Hillman was one of the most groundbreaking stories in soap history and cemented Gail’s already established status as one of the Corrie greats. As the matriarch of the Platt clan, her affectionately prickly relationships with her kids, and flighty mum Audrey, epitomise what makes the show great.
Read more:
- Coronation Street star Helen Worth made MBE in Queen’s Platinum Jubilee list
- Snoop Dogg is a massive Coronation Street fan and he’s ‘determined’ to get a role on the show
- ITV opens brand-new Coronation Street Experience with ‘immersive’ set tours
“Gail has given us countless hours of entertainment, but it should also be said that Helen herself is a consummate professional and a thoroughly good egg.
“Everyone connected to the show will miss having her around the place just as much as the viewers will miss having her on their screens and we wish her all the very best for the future.”
Featured Image – ITV
TV & Showbiz
‘Britain’s poshest wedding’ will take place in Chester today with free ice cream handed out to localsDaisy Jackson
The most glamorous society event of the year is taking place in the North West today, as the Duke of Westminster prepares to marry Olivia Henson.
The Duke, otherwise known as Hugh Grosvenor, is the richest man in Britain under 40, with a fortune of £10.42 billion.
The 33-year-old recently moved to Cheshire, where he will wed his long-term girlfriend today at Chester Cathedral, officially ending his title as ‘Britain’s most eligible bachelor’.
Grosvenor is also godfather to Prince George, and it’s reported that Prince William will serve as an usher today.
Wedding fever has gripped Chester in earnest ahead of what’s being described as ‘Britain’s poshest wedding’, and the happy couple have been getting involved in turning their big day into a city-wide celebration.
The Duke and Olivia have paid for everyone to have free ice cream from three local businesses all day long today, Friday 7 June.
The Duke, who inherited his title and a huge land and property portfolio at the age of just 25, also sponsored the Summer Flowers project this year.
It’s seen more than 100,000 flowers planted across the city and Chester is bursting with colour as a result.
It’s likely there’ll be no expense spared for the lavish celebration and it may be the most elaborate wedding the country will see for several years to come.
It’s had the entire city in an excited tizzy and Chester, already one of the most picturesque cities in the country, is looking better than ever for the big day.
Enormous floral arrangements now adorn the historic Chester Cathedral entrance, everything in town is sparkling, and local shops have created special displays in honour of the happy couple.
The Eastgate Clock on the City Walls was lit up in red white and blue last night ahead of what is, essentially, the north west’s royal wedding.
Chester BID shared yesterday: “As part of local celebrations for their wedding, The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson are delighted to support three fantastic independent businesses by subsidising free ice cream, gelato or sorbet for those who visit the city centre this Friday 7th June.
“@krumgelatowill be opening at 10am and scoop on the day until stock lasts! Offering a single scoop of a range of gelato flavours as well as lemon sorbet (the theme of the couple’s wedding cake) using very special Italian lemons to be served exclusively on Friday.
“@cheshirefarm_icecreambased in@newchestermarketis also offering a range of Cheshire Farm single-scoop ice-creams or slices of a new lemon-sponge flavoured arctic roll.
“AND Diddy Donuts underneath the Eastgate Clock is offering a single scoop of ice-cream, a small portion of their donuts or water, tea and coffee. Who wants ice cream?”
Featured image: Unsplash, Rachel Hannah
TV & Showbiz
A Peaky Blinders film is OFFICIALLY coming to Netflix and it’s one ‘for the fans’Emily Sergeant
It’s official… a Peaky Blinders film is being made for Netflix, and according to its star, it’s going to be “one for the fans”.
Fans of the smash-hit BBC drama series will know that the idea of a film sequel has been a very long time coming, with rumours about it having been circulating pretty much since the success of the first series, and the show‘s creators even adding fuel to the fire by refusing to rule-out the prospect – but now, Netflix has confirmed what we’ve all been waiting for.
Taking to its official social media platforms to tease the long-awaited news, Netflix shared a picture of the film’s script and simply revealed that it’s “coming”.
“BIG NEWS: A Peaky Blinders film is coming to Netflix,” the streaming platform confirmed on X.
BIG NEWS: A Peaky Blinders film is coming to Netflix! pic.twitter.com/CIWEfWaq1d
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) June 4, 2024
As you can imagine, not a great deal is known about the film at present.
Pretty much the only information fans have been given to go off being that the film is written by Peaky Blinders’ original show creator, Steven Knight, and it’s set to be directed by Tom Harper – who’s known for directing three episodes of the show, as well as other TV programmes such as such as This Is England, and the 2015 BBC adaptation of War & Peace.
Oh… and then there’s just the small matter of the fact that Cillian Murphy has been confirmed as returning to his starring role as Tommy Shelby.
Speaking on getting the chance to team back up with Steven Knight once again, and stepping back into Tommy Shelby’s shoes for the film, Oscar-winner Murphy said: “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me… It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders.”
The celebrated actor closed out his mysterious statement claiming that “this is one for the fans”.
The news that Murphy would be returning to his role – if the film was to become a reality – had already been confirmed by Steven Knight back in March.
Knight has previously claimed the plot of the film will carry on the Shelby family’s story, as the timeline approaches the Second World War, andeven teased toEsquire that: “I know what two stories it’s going to tell”.
But he said little else about how they will unfold and who exactly they involve.
Further casting announcements, timelines for filming and production, and eventual air dates for the Peaky Blinders film are all expected to be revealed in due course.
Read more:
- Steven Knight confirms Cillian Murphy will be returning for the Peaky Blinders film
- Netflix confirms two more new Harlan Coben shows after success of Fool Me Once
- One of the highest-rated Harry Potter films is returning to UK cinemas for its 20th anniversary
But considering we don’t know when that’ll be, all we can do for now is wait.
Featured Image – Netflix UK / BBC
