Coronation Street Christmas 2024 preview as Helen Worth's Gail Platt exits soap for good

This Christmas Day is now set to be a classic Corrie episode, as Helen Worth gears up to leave her role as Gail Rodwell after 50 years on the iconic cobbles.

So, what is going down on Coronation Street this Christmas? Read on as we delve into a chat with the soap's executive producer and RadioTimes.com and other press.

Coronation Street Christmas 2024 preview

1. Gail Rodwell's leaving - the Platts are at the heart of Christmas Day

The news that Helen Worth would be leaving Coronation Street after 50 years on the cobbles shook long-time ITV soap fans; this festive season, Gail will be leaving Weatherfield for good.

"It's a lively Christmas on the street," producer Kate Brooks said. "Lots of bombshells are dropped. This is set against Gail's wedding, whether she goes through with that or not, I cannot say anything, but it is a story [with] the Platts at the heart of it. It's really festive. It's a story about family and how secrets can impact and implode on a family."

Fans can expect "a lot of betrayals" as "lots of secrets are exposed during this episode", with Brooks promising it will feel like "classic Corrie with a bit of a twist".

She continued: "I think we're all in need of a bit of escapism at the minute and we've had quite a dark and brilliant few months on the cobbles. The Christmas period, for us, is all about kind of trying to tap into the family dynamics of the Platts. You know, what makes people tick, and ultimately, trying to make sure that we give Gail, the glorious Gail, the exit that she deserves."

As put perfectly by Brooks, Gail has "been such an icon on the street for such a long time" and those on the soap felt they couldn't explore her exit "without a feeling and being steeped in nostalgia", with the promise that there is "tons of nostalgia in this episode".

She added: "Hopefully people will be crying [and] they'll be laughing. There will be gasps as people kind of watch and go, 'Oh my goodness, that's just happened.' But yeah, just old-school Corrie, just with a real modern twist. And I think people will really, really enjoy it. I want people to sit down Christmas night with a full tummy, watch this episode, watch Christmas Day, and go, 'Oh, you know what? That's exactly what I needed.'"

2. Daisy Midgeley, Daniel Osbourne and Bethany Platt love triangle

When Bethany returned to the cobbles at the beginning of the year, a new love triangle formed between her, Daniel and Daisy. And while things have subsided for now, this Christmas Daniel will realise he loves two women and is completely torn.

Shedding some light on what's to come, Brooks says: "It's a love triangle that keeps on giving, and we will certainly carry that through December and into the new year. Daniel is in love with two women, that's what it boils down to.

"He loves Bethany, but he also loves Daisy, and not many people can pull that off, but if anyone can, a Barlow can, and he is absolutely torn over what to do for the best. It's ultimately his head over his heart, but he wants to be with Bethany.

"He wants to kind of channel his love and his future with Bethany, but sometimes when you make a little mistake things can come back and bite them on the bums. So that's essentially what we're doing with that triangle."

For Brooks, she finds the rivalry between Daisy and Bethany "fantastic", as it has a "nice and soapy" feel to it, which is what they're looking for with this storyline.

She continued: "Obviously there's issue-led stories around it and everything. But for me, that love triangle, that dynamic, is going to be super interesting and super exciting, as we wonder what the heck Daniel is going to do and how does he ever get out of those holes that he finds himself in constantly?

"So lots of relationship drama, and what I love about it [is that] there's no kind of good guys or bad guys in it. It's just these three people [who] have found themselves in this situation and they just want to find their own happiness. But obviously, sometimes when you find the happiness, it comes at a cost."

3. Weatherfield residents discover Carla Connor and Lisa Swain's romance

While things have been pretty dire on the cobbles for Carla and Lisa, they will come out the other side soon as the residents of Weatherfield discover they are an item!

Brooks explained: "They've been kind of circling each other for a while. The attraction is there, the chemistry is palpable. They're both very strong, independent, stubborn, brilliant women and they find themselves drawn to each other and they are the least likely person that they think this would happen with. But they have that connection that they can't deny. So we will absolutely play their relationship.

"For Carla, this is quite huge. She has a lot of history with men or failed relationships, a very colourful past, and then she's found herself falling in love with a woman and it completely blows her mind. She doesn't quite understand it at first, but she kind of goes with it and I think it's important for us to kind of show that she's not struggling with [her] sexuality. She's very confident in [her] sexuality, but she's fallen in love with a person that she didn't expect to fall in love with, and that presents many challenges."

For Lisa, Brooks finds that she has "a lot of barriers up" as she is "still grieving the loss of a wife".

"If anyone's got kind of the issues with the relationship, it's initially Lisa who struggles to kind of let down those barriers, [and] let Carla see that vulnerability," Brooks said.

She continued: "Carla's kind of in a bit of a tailspin. She's like, 'I'm falling in love with this woman, but she's hard work. She makes Peter look easy!' And I think that the story is really for them too.

"I think you throw in Betsy – who is fabulous and feisty and a pain in many ways, but so wonderful – you throw that daughter into the mix, and Carla's in a completely different precinct. She's in a different world.

"It's really interesting watching Carla navigate this because we know Carla, we love Carla, and this is completely alien and unknown and uncharted waters, but yet she navigates them really well, and it's just going to be an absolute ride."

Brooks explained that Coronation Street is keen to keep Carla and Lisa "secure" and "grounded", ensuring that their relationship is "believable".

She added: "What I'm seeing on screen is fantastic between the two of them and I think it's really important to tell these stories and tell these stories properly and at the heart of it is a relationship, it's a love story. They will inevitably get a lot of curveballs thrown their way – 2025 is not a quiet year for them two and there's a lot of hurdles that come their way."

While remaining tight-lipped on what these obstacles could be, Brooks said: "There's a lot of things that they didn't quite anticipate that kind of get [in] the way of their relationship."

However this shouldn't worry fans as "ultimately, they [are] strong and united and I'm really excited to be with this couple on this journey, and I think the drama and the story they've given us already is immense. So, there's going to be a lot more of that."

And it isn't long before the residents of Weatherfield discover their romance – and "they are happy" for Carla and Lisa!

Brooks confirmed: "They are happy during the Christmas period. Carla initially flinches a little bit [at] the idea of people gossiping and it's not about sexuality, but she's a bit unsure. But once it's out there in the domain, and she realises that everybody's absolutely fine about it, then it's all systems go.

"Christmas will be when they really commit to each other, when they declare how they feel about each other, and when they stop circling each other and touching each other's hair."

4. Leanne Battersby, Nick Tilsley, and Toyah Habeeb spend Christmas together

Daisy, Bethany and Daniel aren't the only trio with a love triangle bubbling over this festive period, with Leanne, Nick and Toyah also at the helm this Christmas season.

"You know what? I love our Christmas Day. I just thoroughly enjoyed everything about it, because it's so fun," said Brooks.

"You've got Leanne, who's got suspicions about Nick and Toyah, and I felt it was really important to kind of see a different side. So Leanne, she's had a really tough year. She had the Institute, which was all consuming in many ways, but she's a Battersby and she's scrappy and she's feisty.

"And Toyah is so good and so brilliant and wonderful, and [Leanne] sees the life that had just been taken away from her, and rather than go down the route which is expected for her – to kind of take it on the chin or to move on – she really wants to make them pay. She really is intent on getting her own revenge.

"It can be at the detriment of her own sanity sometimes, but she wants to make them realise what they've done to her."

Brooks noted that Nick's betrayal is "one thing" to Leanne, but the betrayal of a sister "is huge".

Concluding the Christmas teasers, Brooks said: "I just love that dynamic between Toyah and Leanne. I think it's fantastic. That all comes to the forefront on Christmas Day. And it doesn't end well for anyone."

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