Gail Platt

Life has had Gail Platt (Helen Worth) on the ropes many times but she's not a quitter. She's not always right, either, no matter what she says!

Children Nicky, Sarah-Louise, David

1974 Arrives as Gail Potter, working in Mark Brittain's warehouse.

1976 Loses flat and job. Moves into No11 with Elsie Tanner. Takes new job in fashion shop Sylvia's Separates and loses her virginity in the stockroom to married man Roy Thornley. Is cited in his messy divorce.

1977 Mike Baldwin buys Sylvia's Separates. Elsie is made supervisor. Gail is manager. Schoolfriend Suzie Birchall works there, too and moves into No11 with Gail and Elsie.

1978 Falls for brooding biker Brian Tilsley.

1979 Flighty mum Audrey Potter arrives for wedding to Brian in November.

1980 Son Nicky born on New Year's Eve.

1982 Mechanic Brian is made redundant and takes a short contract in Qatar. Gail goes to work in Jim's Café with Alma Sedgewick. Has affair with Les Charlton.

1983 In financial difficulty, moves in with mother-in-law 'Poison' Ivy.

1984 Nearly raped by mum Audrey's nasty fiancé George Hepworth.

1985 Splits from Brian and moves out. Brian wins her back.

1986 Sleeps with Brian's Aussie cousin Ian Latimer. Falls pregnant.

1987 Ian proposes. Sarah is born. Blood test proves Ian isn't father. Brian leaves and they divorce.

1988 Remarries Brian.

1989 Brian is fatally stabbed outside a nightclub. Becomes a partner in Jim's Café.

1990 Starts relationship with younger man Martin Platt. Falls pregnant and Martin talks her out of abortion. Baby David is born on Christmas Day.

1991 Marries Martin in September.

1993 Mentally unstable lodger/babysitter Carmel Finnan makes up an affair with Martin and tries to kidnap David.

1994 Struggles with family life as Nicky refuses to accept Martin.

1995 Martin confesses to sleeping with nurse Cathy Power but their marriage survives.

1996 Nick (as he now wants to be known) runs away from home and is found sleeping rough in London. Meets half-brother Stephen Reid for first time. Nick goes to live with Stephen in Canada.

1997 Nick returns.

1998 Upset when Nick elopes with Leanne Battersby.

1999 Sells her share of café to Roy Cropper. Beginning of the end of her marriage to Martin when he refuses to have a vasectomy.

2000 Sarah, only 13, gives birth to Bethany. Discovers Martin's affair with nurse Rebecca Hopkins. Gail asks for a divorce.

2001 Meets Alma Halliwell's charming cousin, Richard Hillman, at Alma's funeral.

2002 Conman Richard leaves business partner Duggie Ferguson to die after he falls during an argument. Murders ex-wife Patricia when she demands money. An unwitting Gail marries Richard in July. Refuses to listen to Audrey's suspicions about her new husband.

2003 Richard cons Emily Bishop and tries to kill her. Kills Maxine Peacock when she catches him attacking Emily. Confesses to suspicious Gail and kidnaps her and the kids and drives them into the canal. All survive, apart from Richard.

2005 Fights over reflexologist Phil Nail with Eileen Grimshaw - and wins. David determines to split them.

2006 Receives cards signed by Richard Hillman and suspects Phil. Phil leaves. David admits to the prank.

2007 Throws David out when Bethany eats drugs he's been stashing. Sees Sarah marry Jason Grimshaw. They go to work in Italy for Stephen.

2008 Pushed downstairs by David in row over Tina McIntyre's abortion. Meets father Ted Page for first time. Starts dating Tina's dad Joe.

2009 Finds out Joe's broke and he suffers from depression. Has a rocky time when Joe becomes addicted to painkillers. Then he declares he's going to fake his own death to pay off his debts.

2010 Is imprisoned for Joe's murder. Eventually is found not guilty by the jury at her trial. Hacks into son Nick's fiancee Natasha's medical records and learn she had an abortion, not a miscarriage as she told Nick. Loses her job. Then sees her arch-enemy Tracy return to the street at Christmas.

Played by Helen Worth

Helen was born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth on January 7 1951 in Leeds, and she was brought up in Morecambe, Lancashire. Helen first became interested in performing after staying with her grandmother who ran a boarding house for music hall stars.... Read More