He “has stepped down from filming for personal reasons”
Coronation Street has been forced to revise actor Helen Worth’s departure scenes following the ‘unexpected’ resignation of Sean Wilson, who portrays Martin Platt.
Sean, who made his debut on the show in 1985, was scheduled to reprise his role later this year as part of Gail Platt’s final storyline set to air this Christmas – which will see her leave the ITV soap after a remarkable five decades.
Originally, Martin was set to return to bid Gail farewell, but this will no longer be the case. As a result, soap bosses are now reportedly scrambling to rewrite the exit storyline.
Coronation Street has now confirmed that Sean will not be reprising his role as Martin later in the year. A spokesperson for the soap told The Mirror: “Sean Wilson has stepped down from filming for personal reasons.”
It is alleged that Helen is devastated that Sean won’t be part of her exit storyline. A source claimed: “It has come as a complete and utter shock to everyone – and his sudden exit has rocked everyone involved with Corrie,” reports the Mirror.
“Sean was loving his time on the show, and he was very popular on set. He had filmed scenes with loads of the cast, but then suddenly he was summoned to head office, and later it filtered out he wouldn’t be returning or his scenes airing, but no explanation offered.”
The insider added to The Sun: “Clearly it’s a major blow for bosses who must now find a new magical and happy ending for Helen – but they are confident they’ll pull it out of the bag, and give viewers something wonderful.”
Martin was introduced to the soap at the tender age of 16, portrayed by 20 year old Sean. After finishing his Confectionary course at Salford Technical College, he took up part-time work in Jim’s Cafe, where he encountered Jenny Bradley.
Initially, schoolgirl Jenny was heartbroken when Martin spurned her advances, leading him to eventually agree to a date. They borrowed Rita’s car, Jenny’s legal guardian, but calamity ensued when she persuaded young Martin to let her take the wheel on a country road, resulting in the car flipping over.
Their relationship didn’t stand the test of time, with Martin embarking on a series of romantic entanglements with various characters, including Gina Seddon – Sally Webster’s sister. Before becoming a porter at Weatherfield General Hospital, Martin worked at a petrol station.
In 1989, he began a relationship with Gail Tilsley, following the murder of her husband Brian, with Martin providing a comforting shoulder to lean on. She fell pregnant in 1990, and despite a last-minute rush for an abortion, she decided to keep the baby.
Their son David Platt was born on Christmas Day in 1990. The couple tied the knot in 1991, after which Martin chose to pursue a career in nursing.
During his training, he met student Carmel Finnan, who later falsely claimed they were having an affair. Although he managed to avoid this scandal, he did end up betraying Gail with another woman, when he had a fling with nurse Cathy Power at a Christmas work party in 1994.
Sean Wilson, who played Martin until 2005, took his leave with a new girlfriend, Robyn, to the dismay of his on-screen son David. He’s dipped in and out of the street since then, last seen in 2018.
Now poised for another return tied into Gail’s leaving plot, Sean has recently discussed stepping back into Martin’s shoes: “It was great to be invited back to Coronation St again, to contribute to Helen’s exit story. We’ll have a few months to catch up with Martin and Gail again, following the ebbs and flows of the unfolding storyline.”
While details around Sean’s departure prior to his comeback scenes are under wraps, only weeks ago Sean was vocal about his enthusiasm to make a comeback, saying: “Playing Martin has been a joy since day one and in a way, I’ll be slipping back to where I left off, which no doubt will throw a spanner into the heart of the Platt family. It’s just like slipping on an old and comfortable jumper from the back of the wardrobe.”
