Coronation Street icon Helen Worth, better known to viewers as Gail Rodwell, has reportedly signed a new contract that will increase her yearly number of appearances.
Helen, 73, will celebrate 50 years in the ITV soap next month. Joining the show as feisty teenager Gail Potter, she quickly became one of the show’s most iconic characters, and has married five of the street’s men.
As the lodger of the iconic Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), it wasn’t long before we met her mum Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) and she had two children with Brian Tilsley (Christopher Quinten).
Her second marriage was to the much younger Martin Platt (Sean Wilson), with whom she had son David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd).
She’s been driven into a canal, dealt with the teenage pregnancy of daughter Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien) and spent time inside of the murder of fourth husband Joe McIntyre (Reece Dinsdale), who died whilst faking his own death.
Gail was last on our screens in March, in her 4,579th episode, but we could be seeing a lot more of her soon.
Helen’s reported £250,000 per year contract could see her overtake William Roache, 92, who is the longest-serving television soap actor in the world in his role as Ken Barlow.
A source told The Sun: ‘Coronation Street has some of the longest-serving stars across all of TV but Bill’s record was always thought to be untouchable.
‘Helen’s deal means she’s within touching distance. It’s her involvement in so many big storylines that gives her such an appearance rate.’
Her most recent big storyline has been the revelation that her brother Stephen (Todd Boyce) was a serial killer.
She hasn’t had an easy life, our Gail!
