Gail Platt

Gail Platt
Helen Worth as Gail Platt (2007)
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Helen Worth
Duration	1974–
First appearance	29 July 1974[1]
Introduced by	H. V. Kershaw
Book appearances	Coronation Street: The Complete Saga
Spin-off appearances	"East Street" (2010)
Classification	Present; regular
Profile
Occupation	Cafe owner and waitress (until 2000) Receptionist (2001–10) Cleaner (2011–) Barmaid & waitress (2012–2013)
Home	8 Coronation Street
Family Father Ted Page Mother Audrey Roberts Half brothers Stephen Reid Husband Brian Tilsley (1979-87, 1988-89) Martin Platt (1991–2001) Richard Hillman (2002–03) Joe McIntyre (2010) Sons Nick Tilsley David Platt Daughters Sarah-Louise Grimshaw Stepdaughters Tina McIntyre (2010) Grandsons Billy Platt Granddaughters Bethany Platt Lily Platt Grandfathers Robert Potter Grandmothers Nancy Potter

Gail McIntyre^[1] (née Potter; previously Tilsley, Platt and Hillman) is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street.^[2] Portrayed by actress Helen Worth, the character first appeared on screen on 29 July 1974. She is the daughter of Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) and Ted Page (Michael Byrne) and has featured in some of the most controversial and high-profile storylines in the soap.^[1]

Creation

Actress Helen Worth was cast as Gail Potter in 1974. The role of Gail was initially intended to be very minor, a friend of the more established character Tricia Hopkins, who was introduced as part of a new family. The Hopkins family made little impact on the show, and, after they were written out, Gail went on to become one of the most popular and high-profile characters in the history of the series. Although Worth was 23 at the time of her casting, the character of Gail was supposed to be 16 when she first appeared.

Development

The character of Gail was first portrayed as a teenager who liked to have fun with her best friends, first Tricia and later Suzie Birchall. However, following her first marriage to mechanic Brian Tilsley her storylines have seen her constantly suffer many blows and misery. She has had four husbands, three children, and three grandchildren, although her grandson died in infancy. Her storylines have seen her feuding with a domineering mother-in-law, deal with affairs, two divorces, being widowed, deal with traumas from each of her children, marry a serial killer who in turn tried to kill her and her family, and even been imprisoned to await a murder trial after being falsely accused of murdering her fourth husband. Throughout each of these ordeals, her personality altered from laid back to a bitter, miserable and bossy woman, a clone of her former mother-in-law Ivy Tilsley. She has been known to interfere in her children's lives as family is important to her and she didn't come from a stable family background. Her mother gave birth to her at 18 because she thought it would help her get the baby back that she had been forced to give up for adoption two years previously. Gail's father was never told about her and as a result, she was mostly brought up by her grandmother or to fend for herself while her mother went out with a string of men. This caused Gail to become a headstrong, independent young woman. However, she always swore that her own children would have a proper family life, living with both their parents. However this hasn't worked out and she has been left with repeated failed marriages and being a single mother to her children. She interferes in her children's lives, thinking she is helping and knows what's best, causing many arguments in the process and feuding with whoever gets involved with her children, just like her own relationship with Ivy. Particularly after marrying a serial killer and putting her children's lives in danger, Gail's interfering has increased immensely. Actress Helen Worth has stated that she loves Gail's storylines as the many traumas give her great opportunities as an actress.

In 2009, Worth revealed in an interview with the Daily Mirror that she thought Coronation Street bosses were going to write the character out of the soap as an upcoming storyline would see her on trial for murder: “At the time I was genuinely anxious as to whether it was the end of the road for me and Coronation Street... I wasn’t shocked, because it can happen to an actor at any time. But I was very pleased when I found out that whatever happens at Gail’s trial, I will be staying in the show.”^[3]

Storylines

1974–89

Gail Potter is a friend of Tricia Hopkins (Kathy Jones) and is first seen when she tells Ray Langton (Neville Buswell) that Tricia fancies him. In April 1975, Gail discovers that the man her mother was living with - Frank Peterson - isn't her father as she thought. Angry, Gail leaves home, moving into the shop flat with her co-worker/former schoolfriend, Tricia. Gail is plagued by nuisance telephone calls and when phone engineer, John Lane, turns up one evening to catch the culprit, Gail realises that it is him. Luckily, Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) sees him go in, her suspicions aroused, and the police are called.

After the warehouse they work in burns down, Gail and Tricia work in the Corner Shop, but when Renee Bradshaw (Madge Hindle) buys the shop and flat in June 1976, the girls are evicted. Tricia leaves Weatherfield and Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) returns, fortunately for Gail as Elsie ensures that she can stay in the flat. Elsie and Gail find work at Sylvia's Separates and move into No 11. She loses her virginity to Roy Thornley, but discovers that he is married and Gail is cited in a messy divorce. In December 1976, Sylvia's Separates is taken over by Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) and renamed the Western Front. Elsie is moved from boutique manager to factory supervisor and Gail is promoted to manager with Suzie Birchall (Cheryl Murray), working for her. In early 1977, Suzie joins Elsie and Gail at No 11, and the three women become one of the programme's most popular groups.^[2]

Gail as she appeared in 1978.

In November 1978, Mike Baldwin closes down the Western Front, but things look up for Gail in December when Brian Tilsley (Chris Quinten) gatecrashes a party at Elsie's and asks her out. In January 1979, Gail gets a job working with Emily Bishop in Dawson's Cafe. By April, Brian and Gail are engaged, beginning a long feud between Gail and Brian's mother, Ivy (Lynne Perrie), and saw the arrival of Gail's mother, Audrey Potter (Sue Nicholls). Brian and Gail are married that November and move in with Brian's parents at number five. Gail and Brian move to a one-bedroomed house at 5 Buxton Close in August 1980 and on New Year's Eve, their son, Nicky, (Warren Jackson) is born. The Tilsleys' marriage never seems wholly secure, especially with narcissistic Brian being given free rein by his doting mother, and soon hits a rocky spot. Gail is propositioned by Brian's friend, Colin Jackson, and Brian is dazzled by customer Glenda Fox. In January 1982, Brian's boss, Ron Sykes, announces that he is selling the business and emigrating to the Persian Gulf. Faced with the choice of working away or redundancy, Brian goes to work in Qatar. Gail makes friends with neighbour, Jackie Moffatt, but bored at home on her own, asks Jackie to look after Nicky while she works part-time in Jim Sedgewick's café (she had briefly worked there when it first opened in 1980), now run by Jim's ex-wife, Alma Sedgewick, (Amanda Barrie).

Brian announces that he is staying in the Gulf, extending his contract by two months. Lonely, Gail agrees to go for a drink with truck driver, Les Charlton, (Graham Fellows) but Nicky goes missing and is eventually found in the newly-rebuilt number seven. A distressed Gail thinks about giving up her job and loses interest in Les. Unfortunately, Les's last visit coincides with Brian's return and he makes it very clear to Les that he is not welcome. Brian decides not to return to Qatar and admits having "had a drink" with a nurse and Gail realizes that his friendship with her was a lot closer than he is admitting. In August 1982, using the money he made in Qatar, Brian opens a garage in partnership with Ron Sykes and for a while, the Tilsleys are happy. In March 1983, things seem to be going so well that Brian takes out a bank loan and buys Ron Sykes's share of the garage. However, there is a change in fortunes - Brian's father, Bert (Peter Dudley), is seriously injured while overinflating a tyre at the garage and dies soon afterwards, and the business starts losing money - forcing Brian to put it up for sale. He is talked out of selling by Gail and Mike Baldwin, deciding to sell the house in Buxton Close instead, and move back in with Ivy. The Tilsleys' marriage now begins to crumble as living under the same roof irritates Ivy and Gail and when in August 1984, Gail is offered the job of manageress at Jim's Cafe, she takes it - annoying Brian and Ivy. A couple of months later, there is more friction when Brian finds that Audrey's latest boyfriend, George Hepworth (Richard Moore), made a pass at Gail. By April 1985, Gail has had enough and leaves Brian, moving her and Nicky into a bedsit. This finally makes Brian get a council house so Gail and Nicky move in there with him.

Early in 1986, Brian's Australian cousin, Ian Latimer (Michael Loney) visits and stays with Ivy. Soon he and Gail are having an affair. Gail admits this to Brian on learning that she is pregnant and doesn't know who is the father. Blood tests show that Sarah-Louise (Lindsey Cunningham), who is born in January 1987, cannot be Ian's but Brian never really bonds with Sarah-Louise, and moves in with his new girlfriend, Liz Turnbull (Catriona A Elliott). Soon after, Brian divorces Gail. Gail starts dating Jeff Singleton (Jonathan Barlow), and Brian doesn't like the idea of him being a stand-in father. After Brian's abortive attempt to kidnap Nicky, Brian and Gail reconcile and he moves back into Hammond Road, and they remarry in February 1988. However, Gail realises that she married too young and Brian's old-fashioned attitudes about wives mean that the marriage will never work so they separate again. Brian's attempt to find other female company one evening results in him killed outside a nightclub in February 1989.

Alma Sedgewick returns to Weatherfield from Spain late in 1988, and in June 1989, offers Gail a 40% partnership in Jim's Cafe, which she accepts. Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) has been working at the cafe since 1985. To Gail's surprise, she finds herself attracted to Martin, who is 11 years younger than her. Martin comforts Gail when she is upset about recent events and a few kisses leads to them ending up in bed together.

1990–2005

Much against Ivy and Audrey's wishes, Martin moves in with Gail and the children and is soon pregnant. Feeling that she can't cope with three children and doesn't want Martin to be tied down too young, she decides to have an abortion. Martin catches her just as her train pulls out of the station and persuades her not to go ahead so David (Thomas Ormson) is born on Christmas Day 1990. Gail and Martin marry in September 1991 and in December, Martin buys number eight and the Platt family move in. Gail's emotional trials are far from over. When Martin studies to become a nurse, Carmel Finnan (Catherine Cusack), a fellow student, stays with them in late 1992 and becomes besotted with Martin. Gail angrily throws her out after Carmel tells Gail that she is too old for Martin but she returns a few weeks later, claiming she expecting Martin's baby, and tries to kidnap David. This causes a fight between her and Gail and Carmel falls down the stairs. At hospital, it is found that she isn't pregnant and her grandfather arrives, explaining her mental history.

During 1994, tensions build as Nicky refuses to acknowledge Martin as a "father", causing problems for Martin and Gail. Depressed after Christmas celebrations at work, Martin sleeps with Cathy Power, (Theresa Brindley) and is caught kissing her by his stepfather-in-law, Alf Roberts, (Bryan Mosley). Alf and Martin agree to keep it between them but when Audrey finds out, Martin confesses everything to Gail. Gail takes the betrayal very badly, and although they continue to live together, she and Martin barely speak but reconcile after a family holiday in North Wales. However, tensions with Nick (as he now wants to be called) grow and are aggravated by Ivy's death in August 1995. She leaves most of her estate to Nick - providing he changes his name back to Tilsley. Months of wrangling and bad feeling ensue, with Gail, Martin, Nick and Don Brennan (Geoffrey Hinsliff) (Ivy's second husband) constantly arguing. In January 1996, Gail settles the row by getting Don to pay Nick £12,000 for the house. Soon after, Gail meets her half-brother, Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) when he visits Weatherfield. Later in 1996, Martin and Gail's marriage is strained, due to conflict between Nick and Martin so Stephen invites them to Canada for a holiday and Nick decides to go to school there, using the money Don paid him for Ivy's house.

Roy Cropper (David Neilson) begins working in the café with Gail when Alma wants to spend less time there and eventually, Alma sells her share in the café to Roy after she and Gail fall out over Stephen's decision to cancel his contract with Mike. Gail and Roy get on very well and things tick over as usual. Roy even gives Gail and Martin a weekend trip to Paris from vouchers he has saved. In 1997, Don is in prison after attacking Mike and Alma but is diagnosed with terminal cancer and asks to see Gail to make amends for the trouble he caused since Ivy's death. Don leaves hospital, attacks Mike and crashes Alma's car into the viaduct, killing himself. Nick (now played by Adam Rickett) returns for the funeral and starts dating Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), part of a loud, obnoxious family now living in number five. Gail is furious when Nick and Leanne elope to Scotland in January 1998.

Brian's murderer, Darren Whately, is released from prison on parole and Nick persuades Leanne to write to him so he starts stalking her. Gail urges Nick to report him to the police when things get out of control and Darren is returned to prison. Leanne and Nick are shocked to learn that Leanne is pregnant, something Gail disapproves of, and their marriage ends after Nick pressures her to have an abortion and tell people that she miscarried. Nick returns to Canada, much to Gail's delight that he is no longer with Leanne, behaviour very similar to her former mother-in-law, Ivy.

Gail tires of her responsibility of the café and sells her share to Roy and his new girlfriend Hayley Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh), but continues to work there. The café relocates in 1999 to a new development on Victoria Street and is renamed Roy's Rolls. 1999 also sees Gail and Martin's marriage get into serious trouble after Gail demands Martin have a vasectomy after she has a pregnancy scare and doesn't want any more children. Martin refuses and Gail's unreasonable behaviour and anger pushes Martin to become good friends with another nurse, Rebecca Hopkins (Jill Halfpenny). They initially bond over troublesome spouses but soon begin an affair that lasts into 2000 but this ends when they discover that Sarah, now 13, is refusing to eat and being sick. Fearing that she is developing an eating disorder, Gail takes her to the doctor and learns that Sarah is five months pregnant and gives birth to Bethany (Emily & Amy Walton) in June 2000. Sarah struggles with motherhood and Gail quits her job so she can look after Bethany while Sarah is at school and enjoy being a teenager occasionally. The truth about Martin's affair comes out soon after the baby's birth and Gail is devastated. She tries to keep the family together but it doesn't work and she asks Martin to leave, divorcing in early 2001. Soon after Martin leaves, Gail gets a job as a receptionist in the newly built medical centre.

The character of Gail then becomes central to one of the soap's most high-profile plot lines in which episodes would go on to get viewing figures more than 17 million.^[4] At first, Gail grows closer to her good friend Alma's cousin, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), a financial advisor, after Alma's death. Smooth-talking Richard whisks Gail off her feet, and they marry in 2002. Little does she know that her apparently perfect husband, due to financial difficulties, has become a serial killer to inherit money, murdering several Weatherfield residents and tries to kill others including Gail's mother, Audrey. When Audrey begins to suspect Richard, she tries to warn Gail but Gail, believes Audrey is suffering from dementia as Richard made everyone, including Audrey, think. This leads to a row and Gail cuts off contact with Audrey when she continues to call Richard a murderer, much to Audrey's heartache. Also, while Gail was still oblivious to Richard's actions, Sarah was involved in a serious car crash with then boyfriend, Aidan Critchley (Dean Ashton), after he steals Ken Barlow's (William Roache) car. Aidan escapes from the wreckage, leaving Sarah for dead. Fortunately she makes a full recovery but never forgives Aiden for what he did. When Gail begins to suspect that her husband is more than he seems, she confronts him with her suspicions and Richard admits everything to her in a special two-hander episode broadcast on 24 February 2003, admitting he killed Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) and his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion). He also reveals that he tried to kill Emily Bishop, Audrey, and left Rovers' landlord Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe) to die, all for his financial benefit. Gail also discovers Richard is a serial con-artist. Absolutely horrified, Gail brands him "Norman Bates With A Briefcase" and throws him out before giving a statement to the police about Richard's confessions. Gail also reconciles with Audrey and just as Gail starts to rebuild her life, Richard returns in March 2003. He takes Gail, Sarah, David and Bethany hostage and attempts to gas them in the garage but people notice the noise from the garage so he drives them all into the canal. Gail, David (Jack P. Shepherd), Sarah and Bethany survive but Richard drowns. Gail later finds out that she faces financial ruin, due to Richard's actions and could lose her house. Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) accuses her of being in league with Richard, as she and Jack (Bill Tarmey) also face financial instability as Richard was their financial advisor. However, Audrey saves the day by using her life savings to buy the house for Gail and her family but Gail's troubles continue. There is soon conflict with Sarah when Sarah and Bethany move into a flat with Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley). Gail calls Social Services, hoping to get Bethany returned to her so Sarah will have to return too. When this doesn't work, Gail and Sarah have no contact for several months. Sarah becomes pregnant again and she and Todd get engaged, further angering Gail. However, Todd admits to Sarah that he is gay so they break up and Sarah & Bethany move out, returning to live with Gail. When Sarah tells Gail what has happened, the fight between Gail and Eileen (Sue Cleaver), Todd's mother, turns physical as Gail is furious at the position Todd has left Sarah in, 16 years old and 7 months pregnant with her 2nd child. Unfortunately Sarah is rushed to hospital with a placental abruption and needs an emergency caesarean. She survives but baby Billy is very ill and dies the day after he is born.

Gail also does her best to come between Nick and his new girlfriend, Maria Sutherland (Samia Smith), believing that Maria will break Nick's heart again as she emigrated with him to Canada briefly once before but returned alone, as she wasn't happy there. They eventually do break up, and despite being very cold with each other for several months, Gail comforts Maria when she is devastated that Nick leaves to start a new job in London.

In 2005, Gail begins dating chiropodist Phil Nail (Clive Russell), much to David's annoyance and he constantly tries to come between them.

2006—

In early 2006, Gail receives cards from her late husband Richard, unnerving her so much that she becomes reliant on sleeping pills and drink. She contacts the police and thinks that new boyfriend, Phil, is responsible and this leads to a violent argument between Phil and David resulting in him and Gail breaking up and Phil leaving. Her relationship with David is strained to the point of breakdown when it is finally revealed that he is sending the cards.^[5] She marches him to the police station to close the case but doesn't press charges. Gail forgives David and believes that she can keep him in line, only to find that he is not going to school. In October 2006, the education officer visits Gail to suggest the family have counselling for David's attitude and Gail should attend parenting classes.

On Christmas Day 2006, David unveils Ivy Brennan's diary, which reveals Gail’s planned abortion and expose his grandmother Audrey's affair with Bill Webster (Peter Armitage). David leaves home when Gail tells him she wants him to start paying rent, but returns with the police, after claiming that Gail is abusing him. The final straw for Gail comes when her granddaughter, Bethany, swallows an ecstasy tablet that David hid in her doll's head in September 2007. Bethany is rushed to intensive care and following an ultimatum from Sarah, Gail tells David to move out. David is distraught but Gail remains strong and tells him that he is not welcome at Sarah and Jason Grimshaw's (Ryan Thomas) wedding. As revenge, David writes a suicide note and leaves it on the kitchen table for Gail the day before the wedding; however, Sarah finds it first and, believing it is another attention-seeking stunt, throws it away. On Sarah's wedding day, David sees his family starting to celebrate, despite the suicide note, unaware that only Sarah saw it. To prove his point, he drives his car into the same part of the canal that Richard had driven them all into over four years before. A distraught Gail waits for hours for news if he is alive or dead, and he eventually does turn up, Gail swears to him that she will never let the situation get so out of hand again. Her relationship with Sarah becomes strained when it is revealed that Sarah knew about David's suicide note, when in fact he hadn't intended to kill himself at all, just ruin Sarah's wedding.

In late 2007, Gail's half-brother, Stephen, comes to stay for Christmas and offers David a job in Milan, which he immediately accepts. However, as revenge for spoiling her wedding day, Sarah plants ecstasy tablets in his drawer in the salon. Audrey finds them and Gail insists David stay in Weatherfield and Sarah is offered the job instead. She accepts and leaves for Manchester Airport with Jason and Bethany but Jason refuses to go with her when she happily tells him that she set David up.

On 3 March 2008, Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) - David's girlfriend - reveals that she is expecting David's baby. Knowing that Tina wants a termination, Gail offers to pay for her to go private as long as she doesn't tell David. Tina accepts but David discovers their deception, he is angry and goes to pack his bags to leave home but Gail won't let him go so he pushes her away. Unfortunately she is standing at the top of the stairs and falls down them, needing hospital treatment for her injuries and suffers short term amnesia.^[6][7][8] Gail eventually remembers who pushed her but forgives David and refuses to press charges again. So, feeling he should be punished, David starts smashing windows on the street and is sentenced to 4 months in prison.^[9]

In April 2008, Ted Page (Michael Byrne), Gail's long lost father, gets in touch with Audrey. Gail finds out and is angry that she is not told. However, she arranges to meet Ted after he discovers he has a daughter, 3 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. On 12 May 2008, Gail meets Ted, and is shocked when Ted explains he has just lost James, his boyfriend of 20 years. On the same day, Gail reveals that she was a "Blairite" and voted for the Labour Party.

Gail takes a shine to Tina's father, Joe McIntyre (Reece Dinsdale), and the couple start dating as Gail does not want their relationship to be public knowledge. In November 2008, David and Tina react badly when they discover Gail and Joe's relationship but later come around to the idea and give the couple their blessing. On Christmas Day 2008, Gail is shocked when the celebrations at the house descend into chaos with her family brawling with their neighbours, the Windasses. Joe angrily orders Eddie (Steve Huison), Anna (Debbie Rush) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) out by throwing food at them. This shows a side of Joe Gail has never seen and she tells him that she never wants him to behave like that again as it brings back bad memories. In March 2009, Gail and Joe temporarily break up following Gary's trial for assaulting David. Tina angrily tells Gail that Joe only moved in with her as he was homeless. In turn, David tells Joe that Gail paid for Tina to have an abortion a year ago. Joe moves out but Gail lets him stay in Sarah's room until he can find somewhere else but realises that she still has deep feelings for him, especially after he injures his back. The couple subsequently reconcile but Joe becomes addicted to the painkillers the doctor prescribed and breaks into the pharmacy at the medical center and is arrested in August 2009. Rather than send him to prison, Joe is forcibly sent to a rehabilitation unit and weaned off the painkillers slowly.

In early November, Joe proposes to Gail on a boat he has renovated, calling it Gailforce. However, Gail is unaware that Joe is in serious debt, following the failure of his business and is frequently visited by debt collector, Rick Neelan (Greg Wood). When Joe finally tells Gail, she is initially furious but offers to help him by selling her house and getting somewhere smaller. On 8 January 2010, Gail marries Joe but weeks into the marriage, Gail discovers the full extent of Joe's debts after she catches him trying to arrange a quick, cheap sale on the house behind her back, in order to pay off Rick. In February, while Gail and Joe are on holiday at the Lakes, Joe attempts to fake his own death to scam money from the insurers. He tells Gail, who is mortified at the plan, and tries to get him to go to the police but they argue on the boat and Joe falls and sprains his wrist. The fight is witnessed by another couple on holiday, who see Joe throw Gail onto the dock and set sail. Shortly afterwards, Joe is knocked from the boat and drowns but Gail thinks he has gone ahead with his plan so she calls David and tells him about Joe's plan and they agree to tell people that Joe has got a job in the Lake District, thinking he will return. They take Joe's boat in from the lake and go home.

Gail is devastated when Joe's body is found, sure that he was alive and well, despite not hearing from him. The police suspect Gail killed Joe when she is forced to tell them about the insurance scam as they find Gail's signature upon a life insurance policy for Joe (Joe forged Gail's signature without telling her). When the couple from the Lakes give statements to the police about Gail's fight with Joe on the boat, more inconsistencies in her story become apparent. On 15 March, Gail is arrested during Joe's wake for his murder, after an indignant Tina tells the police that Gail intends to visit her daughter in Milan and that she asked Tina to lie to them. Consequently Gail is denied bail and her trial is scheduled for 6 July 2010 but is brought forward to early June. In May, Gail is shocked to find her new cellmate is former neighbor, Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford). However, Tracy has struck a deal with the police, that she will get Gail to confess in exchange for a move to an open prison. Gail tells Tracy about the night Joe died and insists she is innocent but Tracy tells the police that Gail admitted killing Joe with a rolling pin. The police are sceptical but find a rolling pin hidden behind a wardrobe in the bedroom of the house Gail and Joe were staying in. Tracy arranges to be moved just as Gail learns that Tracy has given a statement to the police. Devastated, she pleads her innocence and calls David and Nick (now played by Ben Price) to tell them what has happened. Enraged, David hurls abuse at Ken and Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) in the Rovers, telling them what Tracy has done and concocts a plan of his own, to find someone to lie that they saw Joe push Gail off the boat that night, countering Tracy's lies. He and Nick bribe a Polish cleaner to make the false testimony but the trial does not seem to going well for Gail after she shouts angrily at Tracy as she gives her evidence. Gail fears the worst but is relieved when the jury find her not guilty. Later on, Deirdre and Ken admit trying to talk Tracy out of lying but Gail refuses to accept their apology and tells Ken that he should be ashamed of himself.

Gail takes against Audrey's new boyfriend Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers), especially after she learns that they met when Lewis was working as an escort. Gail is not pleased by Audrey's plans to sell her house and business and emigrate to Greece with Lewis and run a hotel. However, this plan falls through when the truth about Lewis's shady personality, after he doublecrosses the bookies repeatedly, is revealed. Although Gail is sorry for Audrey, she is happy that she was proved right to warn Audrey about a boyfriend of hers when Audrey had a long history of being proved right to warn Gail about the men she was involved with. When it is also revealed that Lewis kissed Deirdre, Gail's feud with the Barlows boils over, and she gets into a fight with Deirdre and throws a cake in her face.

In September 2010, Gail gets suspicious of Nick's fiancée, Natasha Blakeman (Rachel Leskovac)'s behaviour when she sees Nick looking at Fiz Stape's (Jennie McAlpine) scan pictures and looks at her medical records. She is shocked to learn that Natasha had an abortion but chose not to tell Nick this, making him think that she is still pregnant. Furious, Gail confronts Natasha and tells Nick what she has done so Natasha attempts suicide. On 27 September, Natasha is pleased to see that Gail is sacked for breach of confidentiality after she tells Doctor Matt Carter (Oliver Mellor) that Gail looked at her records. He confronts Gail and she admits it. Natasha leaves Weatherfield, pleased that Gail has paid dearly for ruining her relationship with Nick. Gail returns to the medical centre the next day to ask for her job back but Doctor Carter refuses, and Gail learns that Deirdre is now working there.

In October 2010, David is arrested for the attempted murder of Graeme Proctor (Craig Gazey) when it appears that he tried to run him over. David claims not to remember the incident but Gail doesn't believe him as David was angry that Graeme and Tina had recently started dating. However, the case is postponed when it is revealed that David is epileptic after he collapses in the courthouse before his hearing. While this proved David's innocence, he is angry with Gail for not believing him and moves in with Audrey. However, they make up and Gail is delighted to see David and Graeme being friendly towards each other in the Rovers.

Gail is shocked on Christmas Eve 2010, when Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) returns unexpectedly when she is granted bail pending a retrial. Gail is aghast that Tracy has been released and confronts her in the Rovers, culminating in a catfight between them. On New Year's Eve 2010, a gleeful Tracy tells Gail that she has seduced David and Nick, much to her horror. A few hours later, Tracy is attacked by a mystery assailant and left for dead and Gail is one of the suspects as she has no alibi so she persuades David to give her an alibi, who she believes is innocent.

In March 2011, Gail learns that David is engaged to Kylie Turner (Paula Lane) when he returns from Tenerife and is against the marriage. She is even more enraged when Audrey signs the salon over to David, seeing Kylie as a golddigger who will break David's heart. Determined to get rid of her, she offers Kylie £1,000 to leave David before the wedding. When she accepts the money, Gail is delighted but is shocked when Kylie arrives at the registry office and the couple marry. However, before Gail can demand the money back, Kylie tells David that Gail has paid for them to go on honeymoon. In August 2011, she comforts Kylie over Max after she breaks down and tells her that she could be the making of David and Max if only she believed in herself and Gail will help her.

In January 2012, Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) asks Gail for help to prove that Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) claimed that Becky is responsible for her miscarriage by pushing her down some stairs. Gail agrees and tells Becky how to get a copy of Tracy's medical records, proving that Tracy lost the babies days before she fell down the stairs. Becky reveals Tracy's lies at her and Steve McDonald's (Simon Gregson) wedding, before leaving for the Bahamas with new partner, Danny Stratton (Jeremy Sheffield) and his son, Billy. Gail is happy to confirm to Steve that they are genuine medical records, repaying Tracy for lying about how Gail killed Joe and has harsh words with Tracy, before leaving a very satisfied woman.

In February 2012, Gail and Audrey discover they both have high blood pressure due to drinking too much and set each other a challenge: who can last the longest without drink. They do well until Gail finds a bottle of vodka at Audrey's house and they agree to go power walking in the countryside. While jogging, they stop by a pub in the countryside, and are horrified to bump into Audrey's ex-boyfriend, professional con artist Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers). They report him to the police but he escapes and returns to Weatherfield, much to Audrey's horror. They reconcile, much to Gail's disgust, and live happily together. Lewis also gets a job at Nick's Bistro. However, Gail is sure that sooner or later Lewis will hurt Audrey again so she plots with Gloria Price (Sue Johnston) to get proof that Lewis is really in love with Audrey. Audrey, however, finds out about this and doesn't stop them so when Lewis realizes that she knew, he leaves her. Wanting revenge on Gail, he later fools her into falling in love with him and they plan to remortgage Gail's house so they can buy a hotel business in Italy. After telling her family this, and with Audrey and David disgusted, Lewis (by text) instructs Gail to turn on the DVD of 'Italian for Lovers' which David does. To the whole family's horror, Lewis has hacked her bank account, taken the money and left the country. Gail finds out that Kylie was involved in Lewis's scam and threatens to call the police. Kylie tells her that Lewis blackmailed her after he learned that she had a one night stand so Gail demands she tell David everything. After an argument with Gail, Kylie gets drunk and falls off a table, unconscious. At the hospital, Gail plans to tell David until Nick admits that he slept with Kylie. Gail couldn't believe it but agreed not to tell David. However, after seeing everyone being nice to Kylie, she couldn't stand it any longer and shouts angrily at Kylie. Horrified that Gail would speak to Kylie like that, he demands she apologize and throws her out when she refuses. She stays with Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) briefly but Kylie persuades her to move back in and reconcile with David.

Reception

In June 2012, the Daily Mail's Jaci Stephen praised Worth and Gail, saying "The character has been through the mill with husbands – one murdered, one dull, one a serial killer and one a kitchen-fitter-cum-fraudster – and Worth has handled every plot with aplomb. She also has great comic timing, and Gail's incompetence in the Bistro is now making for terrific scenes with Nick."^[10]

References

External links

• Gail Platt at itv.com