Gail Platt
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| Coronation Street character | |
 | |
| Gail Platt | |
|---|---|
| Played by | Helen Worth |
| Duration | 1974- |
| Date of Birth | 18 April 1958 |
| Date of Death | |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Occupation | Receptionist |
| Family | Nick, Sarah, David, Audrey, Bethany |
Gail Platt (née Potter; previously Tilsley and Hillman) is a fictional character played by actress Helen Worth on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.
Life in Weatherfield
Gail Potter entered the series on 12 July 1974. Gail was originally a friend of the shop owner's daughter, Tricia Hopkins. When Tricia moved away, Gail bonded quickly with Suzie Birchall, with whom she shared a room in Elsie Tanner's flat. One of Gail's first jobs on the Street was working for Elsie Tanner in the Sylvia's Separates dress shop, and later for Emily Bishop (and after that, Alma Baldwin) in the café.Originally, Suzie and Gail competed for the affections of Brian Tilsley, but Gail won out and married him in November 1979. This set off a fifteen-year feud between Gail and Brian's mother Ivy, who hated Gail, and challenged her on many occasions — which ranged from Gail not attending Catholic Church to Ivy believing that Gail was simply not a good wife for Brian. Gail's friend Suzie left the Street in 1979 and returned in 1983, intent on having an affair with Brian. He resisted Suzie's advances and told Gail, who — with the help of Elsie Tanner — sent Suzie packing.
A teenager at the time, Gail originally referred to her parents as a happy couple. This theory was later dispelled when mother Audrey entered the show, and Gail was not the top of her priorities. Gail and her first husband Brian had two children: son Nick (born in 1980) and daughter Sarah-Louise (born in 1987). Gail was originally unsure of the identity of Sarah's father, because she had had an affair with Brian's cousin, Ian Latimer, just before becoming pregnant. The infidelity caused the break-up of the Tilsley marriage, but after paternity tests proved Brian to be baby Sarah's father, the couple got back together and remarried in 1988.
When Brian was killed in a nightclub scuffle in 1989, Gail became drawn to the much younger Martin Platt, who had worked for her at the café. The two committed to each other after Gail fell pregnant by him. Gail and Martin married in 1991, almost a year after she gave birth to her second son David. She allowed Martin to adopt her other children, but Nick changed his name back to Tilsley in order to benefit from the will of his grandmother, Ivy.
As Nick grew into his teens, he grew increasingly defiant towards his mother and Martin, so Gail eventually sent him away to Canada to live with her brother Stephen. A mature Nick returned in 1997, but shocked his mother by marrying Leanne Battersby. Leanne and Gail would have a similar relationship to that of Gail and Ivy, but eventually Nick and Leanne divorced and Nick left for Canada again.
However, while Gail's problems with Nick were now over, her problems with Sarah were just beginning. As Sarah approached her teens, she also grew defiant just like her brother before her. Shortly after Sarah's 13th birthday, Gail and Sarah made the shocking discovery that Sarah was pregnant. Sarah was five months along and as a result it was too late for an abortion. Sarah would give birth to Gail's first grandchild in June 2000.
Gail was divorced from Martin, in 2001, when he cheated on her, and in 2002 she married Richard Hillman who turned ou to be a murderer. Gail was horrified to discover he had killed his ex-wife and also Maxine Peacock, and refused to cover for him. Richard decided that Gail and her children needed to die with him and attempted to drown them. Gail survived, as did her children. Once Richard had died, Gail resumed using the surname "Platt" and is again on good terms with Martin.
Since her daughter Sarah's boyfriend Todd Grimshaw cheated on her with another man, Gail has been feuding on and off with Todd's mother Eileen Grimshaw, the antagonism notably peaking in a public street brawl. This situation has been further exacerbated by Eileen competing with Gail for the affections of Gail's 2005 love interest, Phil Nail, and when Sarah struck up a stormy relationship with Todd's brother, Jason Grimshaw.
Recently Gail has been receiving Cards signed by the deceased husband Richard Hillman. She rang the police and accused Eileen Grimshaw of sending the cards. It was later revealed to be David who sent the cards.
Family
- Sons: Nick Tilsley and David Platt
- Daughter: Sarah-Louise Platt
- Grandchildren: Bethany Platt and Billy Platt (deceased)
- Parents: Audrey Roberts and Ted Paige
- Half-brother: Stephen Reid
Marriages
- Brian Tilsley (1979 - 1987, divorced)
- Brian Tilsley (1988 - 1989, widowed)
- Martin Platt (1991 - 2001, divorced)
- Richard Hillman (2002 - 2003, widowed)
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