'Coronation Street' boss Iain McLeod scrapped original plans for Helen Worth's return.
Helen Worth
The 68-year-old actress - who is the third longest serving cast member after making her debut as Gail Platt back in 1974 - will be back on the cobbles on October 25, and there were initial ideas to have the character enjoy a holiday romance while she was away.
Iain's quoted by Digital Spy as saying: "No. There was originally a story on the table where she did, but we moved away from that in the end, just because we don't want Gail to get together with another serial killer!
"And if we were going to do it, we'd want to do it on screen rather than off screen! So no, she hasn't.
"She's just had a zen-like epiphany. But it won't turn into a pastiche of a hippy lifestyle - she's still Gail."
Gail will be back as her granddaughter Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) locks lips with Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) despite his wife Sinead (Katie McGlynn) battling cervical cancer.
She shows her new zen-like attitude as she gives Bethany some sound advice, and producer Iain admitted even this was toned down from some initial plans.
He laughed: "Less has happened to her than had originally happened in some versions of the story, where she came back fully meditative and doing yogic flying and the like!
"She's still the Gail that viewers will recognise, but she's a little more grounded and more mother earth.
"I found the scenes coming up between Gail and Bethany really moving, actually. She's still the Gail we know and love, but there might be a few more harem pants in her wardrobe and a few more coiffure choices."
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