Coronation Street bosses bring back John Thomson for Gail’s exit storyline

Coronation Street bosses have reportedly lined up a new love interest for Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) as part of her exit storyline.

Initially, Gail was set to rekindle her romance with her ex-husband Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) before her exit, but those plans have changed. Instead, she will now find herself being wooed by Jesse Chadwick, played by comedian John Thomson.

The soap’s writers had to scramble to change the plot after Sean’s character was unexpectedly written out right after filming started. A spokesperson noted that the actor had “stepped down for personal reasons.”

John, known for his roles in Cold Feet and The Fast Show, made his first appearance on the cobbles as a biker in 1990, before taking on the role of children’s entertainer Jesse from 2008 to 2010.

Jesse previously dated Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver), who has had an on/off feud with Gail over the years. Could this new romance lead to a final clash between the pair?

A source told The Sun: 

“It’s been an absolutely frantic, incredibly stressful past couple of weeks for Corrie bosses and scriptwriters. So many new departure storylines for Gail were mooted but they were set on a love interest one – which proved tricky as she buried five of her six ex-husbands. And the remaining living one, Martin, was obviously axed in real life.

“They wanted a recognisable name and plumped for John as his character was popular with viewers and a real blast from the past.”

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV1 and STV.