Coronation Street viewers were left distracted as they didn’t expect to see an “extreme” change within the Platt family ahead of matriarch Gail’ Plats exit this Christmas

Coronation Street fans were taken aback by the “extreme” change in the Platt family as Gail Platt gears up for her Christmas departure later this month. Soap legend Helen Worth, who plays Gail, made headlines over the summer when she revealed her plans to leave the role after an impressive 50-year stint.

Helen’s final scenes have been shot and are scheduled to grace screens on the much-anticipated Christmas Day episode. In the episode aired on Monday (December 9), viewers watched as Gail began to put her departure into motion, accelerating her wedding plans with Jesse Chadwick.

The mother of three was seen contemplating her next steps outside her home at No. 8, which had been listed for sale earlier in the year, and decided to go along with Jesse’s idea of using the proceeds from her house sale and his divorce to start anew in France.

Gail expressed her readiness for a new chapter, saying: “Life goes on and I think I’m ready now to take that step,” and instructed Jesse to make an offer on a villa. Then, in Wednesday’s episode (December 11), Gail convened a family meeting to inform her mother and children of her plans, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Coronation Street viewers were taken aback by the “extreme” change in the Platt family ahead of Gail’s exit(Image: ITV)

The news that the wedding was only two weeks away shocked her family, and the announcement of their intention to move to Europe and live out their days there certainly stirred emotions.

David was enraged, not only was he forced to share his birthday with Christmas and his mother’s sixth wedding, but he also felt abandoned by his mum’s plans to leave Weatherfield. However, his attention was soon diverted when his nephew Harry, Sarah’s son, emerged from his room holding a handful of £20 notes he had found in the wardrobe. Unbeknownst to David, this was the cash stolen from Harvey Gaskell, intended for Sarah to help Bethany after her botched cosmetic surgery.

The surprises didn’t end there, as Corrie fans were shocked to see Harry sporting a more mature appearance, having been recast with young actor Carter-J Murphy taking over the role. Previously, the role of Harry was shared by twins Freddie and Isaac Rhodes, who had been on screen since 2017, following Harry’s birth in 2016.

Carter-J Murphy has taken over the role of Harry Platt(Image: ITV)

Viewers took to social media to express their surprise, with one fan commenting: “Harry’s got a new head! ! #Corrie.” Another noted: “Wait… THAT’S HARRY? ? ? ? they’ve aged him up aba five years surely! #corrie.”

A third person remarked: “The Harry Platt recast is a tad extreme. Did they purposefully choose an actor who was the exact opposite of the previous one. #corrie.”

Fans were taken aback by the new face playing Harry Platt on Coronation Street, swirling social media with reactions. Someone else tweeted in surprise: “A new Harry Platt! Or has he just grown up loads in the past year? #Corrie.” Another social media user was equally astonished, asking: “Don’t tell me that is HARRY? #corrie.”

Meanwhile, someone else seemed to be momentarily confused by the unexpected change stating: “Genuinely thought a random child had just wandered into the Platts then i remembered it’s Harry with a new head #corrie.”

The actor made his debut this week(Image: ITV)

The sentiment was resonated by another fan who commented: “I was like, ‘Who’s that little boy tiptoeing around the Platts?’ And then it hit me: we got a new Harry! #Corrie.” Someone else noticed the revamped character now has a voice: “A new Harry platt who finally has a voice! #Corrie.”

Speculation even hints at a possible link between Harry and another character, Mason Radcliffe. Queries and comparisons arose from the viewers as one soap fan questioned: “Did they just shrink Mason for the new Harry? #Corrie.”

Fans continued to draw comparisons with another sharing their thoughts: “The new Harry looks like a mini Mason #Corrie a future street terror.” Someone else warned of potential trouble from the newcomer, saying: “Oh they’ve recast Harry he looks like he’s gonna be absolute trouble #Corrie.”

Coronation Street is on ITV at 8pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and available to stream from 7am on ITVX