Coronation Street legend says she won’t return for Gail’s exit

Coronation Street legend Thelma Barlow has ruled out a possible return to the cobbles to see Helen Worth off.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Barlow spoke about her return to acting in a short movie but shut down the possibility of a Corrie comeback as Mavis Wilson.

Ed Balls asked the soap star: “I know you’ve said you aren’t going to go back if they came along now and said they had a new role for you, but aren’t you just a little bit tempted, a little cameo role if they came along with some idea? Maybe with Gail leaving, a Gail moment?”

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Barlow laughed and said that returning to Corrie would be too scary for her.

“No. I’d be far too terrified. I’d be so frightened to do something that was commercial and in a big studio,” she said.

GMB‘s Susanna Reid then offered: “Is there no way they can drag you back to Corrie?” to which Thelma replied: “Never say no but I would just be too frightened.”

“Oh, don’t keep on. Leave me out!” the soap star said when the presenters continued asking about a possible cameo, before opening up on her friendship with Worth, revealing Worth had shown support for her new film.

Worth has played Gail Rodwell on the ITV soap since 1974. Earlier this month, it was announced the actor would be leaving the soap after 50 years, with her exit storyline involving a big plot for the Platt family.

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“I have been truly blessed to have been given the most incredible scripts week in week out and to have worked with fantastic actors, directors and a brilliant crew,” Worth said in her farewell message.

“The past 50 years have flown by and I don’t think the fact that I am leaving has quite sunk in yet.”

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.