Helen Worth

Helen Worth (born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth; 7 January 1951)  is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Gail Platt in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street for 50 years, a role that she began playing in 1974 and will depart in 2024. In 2014, she received the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Early life
Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth was born to Alfred and Gladys Wigglesworth in Ossett and grew up in Morecambe, Lancashire. She was brought up in a middle-class family and attended private school. Her mother was killed in a hit-and-run road accident while she was on a visit to Brighton.

Career
After graduating from drama school, Worth worked in repertory theatre, which included a year with the BBC Radio repertory company. She has had uncredited bit-parts in the films Oliver! (1968) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), and appeared on television in the  Doctor Who story Colony in Space (1971), The Doctors, Helen: A Woman of Today (1973), Within These Walls (1974) and The Carnforth Practice (1974). She joined Coronation Street in 1974 and has remained with the soap since then.

Worth initially stated that she did not plan to leave Coronation Street, and said she was happy with Gail's never-ending drama, and that it was a job she loved. In an interview with GMTV in January 2010, Worth said she loved Gail's storylines and praised the writers for giving her some strong plots over the years, and which she hoped would continue. On 9 June 2014, a one-off special about Worth, Gail & Me, aired on ITV. The 30-minute documentary celebrated Worth's 40 years as Gail. In June 2024, ITV announced that Worth had decided to leave Coronation Street after 50 years, with Gail set to make her departure from the soap later in the year, however ITV bosses confirmed she will have a "happy ending". There was speculation about why Worth opted to "quit" the show with many tabloid newspapers reporting she looked "downcast" when spotted in public for the first time. Former co-star, Denise Welch, said in an interview regarding Worth's departure: "It's just so sad that a veteran [of the show] like Helen is leaving, she is Corrie." Welch also stated Worth was one of Britain’s most “consummately brilliant actresses” and suggested that the show rename the Rovers Return after her.”

Personal life
Worth has a house in London. She married actor Michael Angelis at Chelsea Register Office on 18 January 1991. Worth forgave Angelis when he admitted to an affair in 1995, but they divorced in 2001 after he had another affair with model Jennifer Khalastchi. Following this, it was mistakenly reported by The Sun newspaper that Worth was dating London restaurant owner Simon Hopkinson.

She married Trevor Dawson, a primary school teacher from south London, in 2013.

Charity work
Worth is a patron of the Born Free Foundation, an international wildlife charity working throughout the world to stop individual wild animal suffering and protect threatened species in the wild. She appeared on television fronting campaigns and joined them at the House of Commons in 2006, to speak about the proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Bill and campaign for the retirement of Anne, the UK's last remaining circus elephant.

She is a supporter of the charity ActionAid and has visited Sierra Leone in support of its work there.

Awards and nominations
Worth has been honoured twice with the Outstanding Achievement Award at awards ceremonies for her performance as Gail in Coronation Street. In September 2006, Worth won the "Outstanding Achievement Award" at the Inside Soap Awards. Then, on 25 May 2014, Worth won the "Outstanding Achievement Award" at 2014 British Soap Awards. Worth received the British Soap Award for Scene of the Year in 2019 for a monologue she performed, which was also nominated for a BAFTA TV Award.

Worth was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to drama.