The actor was talking about one of his most famous scenes playing David Platt in the ITV soap
Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has recalled the ‘weird’ moment he was told to ‘push’ someone on set. The actor was talking about one of his most famous scenes playing David Platt in the ITV soap.
Long-time fans of the long-running show may remember David leaving his mother Gail Platt for dead after pushing her down a flight of stairs in a dramatic storyline back in 2008.
At the time, Jack’s character was overcome by rage after discovering Gail, famed for being played by actress Helen Worth, was secretly plotting to take his girlfriend Tina McIntyre, played by Michelle Keegan, to have a abortion.
Gail tried to explain things to him but he’s livid and as he tried to leave the house, Gail blocked his path telling him he mustn’t go out in the state he was in. But in a fit of anger, he ended up pushing his mother down the stairs. After leaving her, Gail was found by neighbours who rush her to hospital where doctors fiought to save her life.
Amidst Helen’s exit from Corrie after 50 years of playing Gail, Jack was asked about some of his memories working with her and their work together over the years. On the podcast On The Sofa, which he co-hosts with co-stars Ben Price and Colson Smith, the soap star recalled: “I didn’t really know what would be happening.
“I didn’t think I’d have any actual involvement in it but on the day, I was stood at the top of the stairs with this woman who’s dressed up in Gail’s clothes, a wig… We got into position and she went, ‘Right, go on, push me!’ Then he [the director] went, ‘Action! Action, in your own time!'”
He started to laugh as Ben, who plays Nick Tilsley, said: “That’s not my own time is it, that’s now!” Jack went on: “And the ladt went, ‘Ok, push me!’ and I went, ‘What?’ And she went, ‘You have to do it. You have to physically push me so I can go back!’ I went, ‘Alright,’ and then it’s just hands out and I went [pushing motion]. I was just pushing a woman down the stairs. So weird.”
It comes after Jack recently revealed that hundreds of the show’s cast and crew from behind the scenes came onto the set as Helen wrapped on her final scenes, despite the soap icon not wanting a fuss. They then went on to have a celebration in the Bistro which the actor said “was really lovely” and also attended by Helen’s husband.
He added: “Everybody was very happy. Me, Ben [Price – Nick Tilsley] and Tina [O’Brien – Sarah Platt], we gave a little speech, didn’t we?” before it was confirmed it had those who work on the long-running show in tears.
