Helen Worth, a veteran actress, will return to Coronation Street for a special occasion exactly a year after leaving the show after 50 years.
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As the mother of three who fell in love and became one of the show’s most beloved and enduring characters, Gail.
Gail Platt, a star of Coronation Street, bid farewell to Weatherfield as she packed her bags for France almost a year ago.
Following her departure last Christmas, we are set to see Helen Worth back on our screens over the festive period as the long-suffering mum makes a surprise Corrie return – although bosses are keeping her involvement in the episode a strict secret.
After a long-running run on the soap dating back to 1974, her exit shocked viewers of the ITV show. When the show’s avid viewers notice the long-served return and the Platt family’s additional issues, she will make a one-time appearance.
Helen loved playing Gail, a character who has had her fair share of drama over the years from multiple marriages, her daughter Sarah’s teenage pregnancy, bitter feuds, and falling for a serial killer. Since she left, the 74-year-old star has been linked with a number of big parts.
As she prepares to return to the streets a year after his departure, we take a look at her off-screen life and what might come next.
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Could the star take to the Strictly dancefloor in 2026 as well?
Helen – understood to be a big fan of the BBC show – has been linked since 2024, the year she announced she would be leaving Coronation Street. Fans are hopeful we will still see the star don the sequins when the next line-up is announced.
She would join a long list of former Corrie stars who’ve competed on Strictly, including Tina O’Brien, Catherine Tyldesley, Georgia May Foote, and of course the 2023 winner Ellie Leach.
London’s secret life
Helen was one of the soap’s highest-paid stars because she had worked for Corrie for so long and appeared in more than 3,000 episodes. She reportedly took home a £250,000-a-year salary.
She actually resides in London where she owns a house, rather than living there, where Coronation Street is shot.
Helen, who was raised in Morecambe, Lancashire, enjoys a glitzy life there, making the most of some prestigious hotels and frequently staying in the city, despite being a northern girl at heart. She also has grown up in the city and has grown up there.
Husband’s tragic relationship
Although Helen frequently avoids the spotlight, her personal life was in jeopardy in 1995 when her first husband’s affair was exposed.
Speaking about his infidelity back in 2001, she told The Mirror: “Nothing can ever prepare you for the day your husband sits you down and tells you he is having an affair.
“It was everything to me that my marriage was. Everything else was built on the same foundation as it was. Nearly the entire time, I spent with Michael. Never did I think that our relationship wouldn’t lead to our age. Everything just went into black as he said it.
“Things started to make sense.” Perhaps I just now realized that something similar was going to happen. Although things hadn’t worked out for a while, I didn’t believe it was serious. “
tragedy for a family
Helen’s glittering soap career took off three years after she tragically lost her mother in a hit-and-run accident when the actress was 20 years old. Previously opening up to the Daily Star about her heartache, she shared: “The one person I really wanted to tell when I got the part of Gail was my mother.
The actress and British artist Dinos Chapman prefer to keep their private lives a secret, despite the fact that the couple is married.
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(Image: BBC/Merman/PA)
When it was revealed that Lucy Punch, one of the show’s beloved characters, would have its own spin-off series, Amandaland, the BBC show’s viewers were thrilled.
The story follows blow-dried mum Amanda as she navigates life after divorce in a less well-to-do area of London. The show hit screens in February 2025, and a special Christmas episode will air on Christmas Day.
Lucy, a 47-year-old British actress, and her partner Dinos Chapman, a four-year-old boy named Rex, a nine-year-old, and their two children, Rex and Dinos Chapman, live in Los Angeles. Amanda dated James D’Arcy, an actor from the Avengers, for about three years before meeting Dino.
Although Lucy and Dinos have been dating since 2014, Lucy says she prefers to keep her relationship with the British artist completely secret.
She told The Times : “I think I’m just a fairly private person, and private even with people who are close to me. I also feel that anything interesting about myself is the last thing I’d want to share in an interview. I just think we’ve all become so accepting of a lack of privacy in our lives, and there’s so little left. There’s no more secrets and there’s no more mystery, and I think that’s weird and sad.”
Twenty years ago, Lucy and her family moved to Hollywood, where Laurel Canyon is known for its bohemian charm, and now reside there. Despite having lived across the pond for more than 20 years, Lucy doesn’t feel like she belongs there, calling LA “a very transient place.” She explained that she prefers to appear “more human” and declined to get carried away in the Hollywood aesthetics scene.
She continued, “I get that there is a lot of pressure on movie stars, but I think you need to have some humanity in your face.” And character or comedy actor must take that seriously. Because I believe that’s not what makes me a good person, I can’t do anything to my face.
Lucy grew up in West London and attended the private girls’ school Godolphin & Latymer, which counts Davina McCall and Nigella Lawson amongst its former pupils. She went on to study history of art at University College London, but dropped out when she got her big break – Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French offered her a part in their 1999 sitcom, Let Them Eat Cake. She went on to play receptionist Elaine Denham in Doc Martin.
In addition to Naomi Watts and Anthony Hopkins in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp in the 2014 film Into the Woods, Lucy has since co-starred with a number of well-known actors.
Joanna Lumley portrays Amanda’s evil mother Felicity Sanderson in Amandaland. Working with Joanna is “a dream,” according to Lucy. Jennifer Saunders and Joan Saunders, who played Felicity’s sister, will play the Christmas special with Joan in which Joanna will reunite with her Absolutely Fabulous co-star.
Lucy and Jennifer will also be getting together again. This time around, Lucy claims it was “even better” to co-star with the TV legend.
She explained to Metro, “I was 22 when I worked with her the first time, and I couldn’t speak,” because I was so excited and impressed.
On BBC One and iPlayer, the Christmas Special from Amandaland will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 9:15 pm.
Michael Le Vell has played Kevin Webster on Coronation Street for 42 years.(Image: ITV)
When Michael Le Vell was handed a new year-long contract this month he breathed a sigh of relief.
Complacency isn’t wise in Coronation Street – even after 42 years playing mechanic Kevin Webster, who now owns the garage.
Michael, 61, tells The Mirror: “You can never take the job for granted. My contract was due in January and I’ve just been offered a new one, so I can breathe a sigh of relief for another year.
You can never look further than that, though. They might say, “You know what, we can’t write for you anymore, we can’t.” I say thank you and bid you far. That is the beast’s nature.
Bitter and depleted, after battling testicular cancer and losing his wife, Abi (Sally Carman) to his scheming brother, Carl (Jonathan Howard), gossip is rife among Corrie fans that Kevin could be set for a romantic reunion with ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor).
READ MORE: ‘Kim Tate’s man-eating days are over as she faces sad Xmas alone,’ says Claire King
People frequently ask me if I want to return to Kevin and Sally, and I always refuse, according to Michael. I do so because Sally and Tim are together. I don’t want them to end their relationship just so I can get back together with Sally because I think they’re a great couple. Because I adore working with Sally Carman, I’d go back with Abi. I’m hoping they can reconcile their differences in 2026, but that’s not currently a possibility.
What is guaranteed is a year of drama ahead – starting with Corriedale, the special episode on January 5, which will see Corrie and Emmerdale come together for the first time. Michael is sworn to secrecy on the details, but knows his family will be affected by a devastating pile-up on a country road between the two locations, after leaving the wedding of his sister Debbie (Sue Devaney).
He says: “It was an honour to be part of Corriedale because these things don’t come around too often. I was in a scene with a couple of Emmerdale actors – Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) and Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle) – as we tried to move a crashed car, which was great. The episode involved a lot of night shoots out on location and our trailers were next to each other, so the casts of the two shows were always having a cup of tea and a chat, which was fun. It’s very exciting; it was a great privilege to be a part of it.”
After Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) Michael’s 1983 arrival at Weatherfield, he is the second longest-serving actor. He confesses, “No day goes by where I don’t get nervous,” and continues to get anxious before his scenes. I experience stomach churning and anxiety, especially when I’m present in every scene. If I’m in a scene with someone like Bill Roache or Barbara Knox out of respect, or if it’s a big showdown between the Rovers, it’s even more stressful.
When it comes to your bit, you’re thinking, “don’t mess up, don’t mess up,” if there are many people in the pub. Otherwise, they will all have to re-enter their dialogue, which adds pressure. He hopes to match 93-year-old Bill Roache, who is still holding his own. If they still want me, he says, “I’ll be in the show in my 70s, 80s, and 90s.” Never have I tried to leave.
“I’ve had so many lines recently where Kevin’s said ‘I’m old, I’m grey.’ He even mentioned something about retiring the other week and I went ‘I don’t want to say that line, thanks very much!’ As far as I’m concerned, I’m in the No 1 show. It’s the best job in television and if it’s not broke, why change it? I love the storylines and the people – great actors like Sally Dynevor, Sally Carman and Alan Halsall. They’re such a joy to work with that some days it doesn’t feel like a job. Although I’m not going to say that too loudly or they might stop my wages!”
After having daughters Rosie and Sophie, Kevin and Sally married three years after purchasing 13 Coronation Street from Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander). He chuckles, “Jean Alexander was one of the show’s legends, but I can recall her once abusing me.” She requested that Bernard Youens, who played Stan, receive a get-well card. I had some oil on my card as I was just getting ready to film a scene in the garage. She yelled at me indignantly”!
Kevin and Sally had a happy ending until he cheated on her with Natalie Welch (Denise Welch), then cheated on her again and delivered his son Jack while having a fling with Molly, the ex-wife of his best friend, Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). He has since split from Abi and Alison Wakefield, who committed suicide after their son Jake passed away.
Michael, who was born in Manchester, first began his acting career at the Oldham Theatre Workshop before making his TV debut in Corrie, where he played paper boy Neil Grimshaw, at the age of 15. He auditioned for the comedy drama series Scully three years later and was spotted playing Kevin. He recalls: “I was waiting in the corridor when the casting director came in and said, “Is there a spot for me for Coronation Street tomorrow?” I said ‘ no. ‘ She urged me to “leave it with me.” My agent called me when I got home and informed me that I would have an audition the following day. The rest is history as long as I enter and get Kevin’s role. I’ve lived here my entire life; I’ve grown up. Since I’ve been Kevin Webster since I was 18 years old, I now consider myself the show’s older statesman.
Michael and Louise Gibbons, their three Yorkshire terriers, and two Siamese cats, reside in Cheshire. They also have two horses, Maximus and Magica, who are passionate about nature and the countryside. Michael describes himself as “very different,” comparing himself to Kevin. When I’m not working, I’m mucking out, filling hay nets at the stables, and shoveling horse s**t.
Getting into horses 10 years ago through Louise, when they went for riding lessons together, he adds: “The horses give me serenity. When you’re riding, you can’t think about anything else. It’s the same with the dogs and cats. When I’m with them, they give me unconditional love, so I can’t help but give them unconditional love back.”
He even declared, “I’ve done alright,” and that he has even competed at equestrian events. I did little circles around the arena to earn gold medals for dressage and other things. But then I started taking jumping lessons because I was getting a little bored of that. I sprained twice. When you’re my age, you bounce differently. Really hurts, I mainly rely on Louise to handle the riding and feeding.
Kevin has been a lothario for four action-packed decades in Corrie, he saved Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) from a fire in The Rovers, and he has thrown more than one punch. He responds, “Angry Kev,” as Alan Halsall refers to him. He believes that everything he does is enraged. He is definitely a little hands-on with his fists. He has struck everyone at once, including Terry Duckworth. He first reacts, and then comes back and considers it later. I’ve been involved in more fights than anyone else on the cobbles. What, Kevin must have already struck his brother Carl four or five times? Next year, I’ll hit him once more. “
We take a look at the show’s former stars as the new Call the Midwife Christmas special gets closer to its release after winning the hearts of viewers.
The BBC drama Call the Midwife, which follows the Midwifery at Nonnatus House, has won viewers’ hearts for more than ten years. We sadly had to say goodbye to a number of the actors who have appeared in the series over the years.
The beloved television series, which premiered in 2012, is still running well after 14 seasons, with a new Christmas special on the horizon. The nuns and nurses embark on a rescue mission as part of the BBC drama’s two brand-new festive episodes that air on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The episode will transport viewers to 1971 and will begin with Fred (Cliff Parisi) and Violet Buckle (Annabelle Apsion) leaving Poplar, East London, and visiting Hong Kong with Derek (Nicholas Atkinson).
Let’s take a look at the show’s stars who are unfortunately no longer with us, while fans of Call the Midwife have been waiting for a while for the series to return to our screens.
The upcoming Christmas special, which will see the cast of Peep Show take on festive baking challenges, has been open to Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith.
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Prue Leith has made an awkward admission about the upcoming Christmas special(Image: Dave Benett, Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Prue Leith has made a rather awkward confession about the forthcoming Christmas special of The Great British Bake Off, pleading: “don’t tell them”. The festive instalment of the hit baking programme, scheduled to broadcast on Christmas Day, will feature stars from the cult Channel 4 comedy Peep Show – David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman – tackling a series of baking tasks.
Presented by The Mighty Boosh comedian Noel Fielding alongside This Morning’s Alison Hammond, The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off will see the celebrity contestants scrutinised by Bake Off legends Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.
During a recent chat, Prue discussed the forthcoming Peep Show special, but made a somewhat awkward revelation – admitting she’d never actually watched the programme. She then made a humorous request and confessed that she doesn’t “watch any telly”.
The 85-year-old told Woman’s Own magazine that she had never even heard of Peep Show when she spoke openly about her new holiday bakers. Don’t tell them, please! But I enjoyed it after watching it.
She continued, “To be honest, I’m typically bluffing my head off with the celebrities because I don’t watch any television.” The only people I’m likely to know are actors of a certain age.
In other news, Prue recently left gardening icon and Ground Force legend Alan Titchmarsh gobsmacked when she made an unexpected remark about vegetables during an appearance on his ITV programme Love Your Weekend last month (November 23).
Robert Bathurst, a fellow guest on Downton Abbey and Cold Feet, and Prue questioned him about his veg-growing exploits and how he handled the summer glut.
What do you do with all the summer produce that you grow? She posed the question. There are “all these b***y tomatoes and “all these spinach piles.”
Prue described her own experience, “I spent years growing and processing, and what you do is you freeze spinach, it fills the freezer, and then you have far too much of it, making room in the freezer next year for more spinach and putting that lot on the compost heap”.”
Instead of what she described as a “mountain” on Monday and “nothing” the following day, she continued, claiming that the supermarket has “perfectly good packets” for the vegetables she requires.
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As Alan retorted, “If only we could edit that out,” the group laughed as she made her comments.
He joked in a joke about how the supermarket has it in the middle of the night.
The 2025 Strictly Come Dancing winner has been identified as the former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here Gogglebox star! Scarlett Moffatt, the winner,
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Scarlett Moffatt has opened up about her Strictly Christmas special win(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy Levy)
Tonight marked a poignant part in the Strictly Come Dancing journey, with hosts Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman bowing out gracefully after being seen on the show for the last time in the pre-recorded Christmas Special.
Scarlett Moffatt won the glitterball trophy for the first time, describing victory as “the greatest” festive gift, making it even more significant for another reason.
Scarlett, 35, said: “This is amazing! This is amazing! I believe I should have given a speech a thought! The best gift that could have been given at Christmas, in my opinion. We’ve all just had the best time,” he continued.
The former Googlebox star and Queen of the I’m A Celebrity jungle, triumphed alongside her professional dance partner Vito Coppola. Speaking to the Mirror ahead of the special being aired, Scarlett said: “I couldn’t believe my luck when I was paired with Vito.
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I wanted him a lot! Vito would be my favorite, I kept telling myself. I’m so appreciative of the show’s opportunity to play a small part in such a significant institution. The pair performed their Cha Cha to DJ Play A Christmas Song by Cher, earning a perfect 40 from the judges, with her intuition.
We just laugh so hard together, Scarlett continued, “It seems like we’ve known him for ten years.” The best part is that it is called “Strictly.” The actor, who has son Jude, 2, and fiance Scott Dobinson, also performs regularly. She began dancing as a child, and she later developed into a proficient ballroom and Latin dancer, even studying with Strictly judge Anton Du Beke.
Scarlett was crowned British Ballroom Champion at age 16 and continued competing in the finals until she was 21. This is not a new experience for her. She remarked, “Strictly reignited the fire inside of me, reminding me of my love of dancing. I’ll undoubtedly keep doing it even after I’ve fallen in love with it. I’m so happy about it.
Before the episode, Scarlett also spoke of her delight at being able to go on Strictly. She posted a video montage on Instagram, featuring footage from her childhood dancing competitions, edited with sequences of her training for Strictly with Coppola.
Scarlett said, “I know I’ll probably never be able to dance on the main Strictly series because I was a young girl, so it means a lot to me to be a part of the Christmas special.” One of those wishes you make quietly but never really expect to fulfill is dancing on the Strictly Christmas Special on Christmas Day, which evokes a true bucket-list moment.
The show saw six stars take to the dancefloor which also included comedian Babatunde Aléshé and Nancy Xu, singer Brian McFadden and Michelle Tsiakkas, Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley (Fury) and Neil Jones, All Saints singer Melanie Blatt and Kai Widdrington, and EastEnders actor Nicholas Bailey and Luba Mushtuk.
Scarlett’s relationship with fame and celebrity hasn’t been as smooth as her dance relationship. With her quick wit on Gogglebox, her star made a quick ascent as she won over fans. In 2016 she experienced a dramatic change in her appearance, prompting a brief stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
She changed from a size 18 to an 8 after claiming it was a part of a diet and exercise regimen and releasing a fitness DVD. She then admitted she lost weight while attending a punishing Swiss bootcamp with a strict calorie intake. Later, she later revealed that she had “purposefully gained weight” to deter fans from losing weight quickly.
During rehearsals and Strictly training, she admits to having the same issues that do occur. She said, “Sometimes I look in the mirror and realize that’s not how I imagined I should look.” All that matters is that I’m enjoying myself, even though I’m having the best time.
The Christmas special also marked Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s final hosting duties on the BBC show after they stepped down in a shock announcement earlier this year. Tess even managed a little dance herself, performing an Argentine Tango with Aljaž Škorjanec.
Nicholas and Luba scored 39 points out of a possible 40 while Brian and Michelle, the singer, did so with their Viennese Waltz. Additionally, Kylie Cantrall’s Street Commercial to Red Christmas, a Jodie and Neil’s, scored 37.
With the addition of the studio audience votes and the judges’ scores, TV star Scarlett was declared the winner and her and Vito won Strictly’s Christmas Star Award. Scarlett managed to keep her win a secret from her family, who discovered it yesterday.
Ahead of the show’s transmission She said: “I’m going to make them wait.I already feel like a winner anyway, the fact that I’m dancing with Vito and I get to, perform. I don’t want to give anything away.” Following her time in the jungle, in 2017 Scarlett joined TV presenting veterans Ant McPartlin and Declan Donelly as a co-host on Saturday Night Takeaway for two years. She’s since taken a step back from fame, but after Strictly, she’s tempted to make another triumphant return to reality shows.
She’s been rumoured as a name in the I’m A Celebrity All Stars line up alongside Harry Redknapp, Mo Farah and Gemma Collins rumoured to air next May. Teasing us, she added: “I absolutely love the show. Hypothetically, if I was to go back, I would just soak up every second again because I had such an amazing time the first time round. And I was a kid, I’d just turned 25. I was starting out in this industry, and I really feel like if I got the opportunity to do it again, I know myself more now.
“I enjoyed it when I was last on,” he said. “I didn’t want it to end. I would just enjoy it for what it is, unlike right now. Scarlett’s holiday resolution is to enjoy herself.
She continued, “I have a toddler and try to stay in touch with friends and family while juggling panto, Strictly, and other work commitments.” You should not stress, I believe, and simply remember how wonderful and wonderful it is to see so many people over the holidays.
Scarlett and Three UK are collaborating to honor and honor the unsung heroes of Christmas.
