Soap icon Helen Worth departed the show after 50 years on Christmas Day and one moment in particular has stuck with fans

Coronation Street viewers were in tears as they spotted a heartbreaking detail with Gail Platt’s exit. The iconic character, played by Helen Worth, said goodbye to Weatherfield in emotional scenes on Christmas Day.

The unlucky in love soap icon finally got her happy ever after when she married Jesse Chadwick and departed the Cobbles. Helen’s co-stars have taken to Instagram to issue tributes to her incredible legacy after 50 years as part of the cast.

Her on-screen son, Jack P Shepherd, shared a number of snaps from the final days filming as he said: “Love you Helen.” The actor, who plays David Platt, was a key part in Gail’s exit as he starred alongside Helen in an emotional two-hander.

Fans took to the comments and demanded the soap star deserves an award as they spotted how his tears were genuine in the emotional scene. Eugene said: Jack if you don’t mind. That scene with you and Helen (Gail) in your living room your tears were real you had me going too. Great acting and what a send of”

Alka posted: “Amazing episode and David needs an award! Great acting by everyone but he made me cry as his tears felt real” Denise commented: “On your final script, there were real tear from your screen family, the Platts”

Sandra added: “Love the scene with the two off you” Robbie said: “Gorgeous scene between you & Helen. Yous two have a special connection. I was in tears watching it Best of luck to Helen” Liz commented: “Love that you said mum emotions were real we will miss her.”

In an interview with ECHO and other press, Jack revealed how he didn’t want to rehearse the final scene with Helen, who has played his onscreen mum for 24 years.

Jack told the director “I can’t do it” as he was only going to have “one in him” with the two saying a final goodbye to each other. The soap star also revealed he prompted a sudden rewrite to her last scene.

The actor said: “We had a little do on her last scene. Originally, her last scene filming was a scene with me and Julia [Shona] in the Platts’. I went: ‘No, no, her last scene has to be just all of us. Like, we all just have to be in the Platt house’. They said: ‘There isn’t one. There isn’t one where you’re all together.”

“I went: ‘Well write it! You know, you can’. So they went: ‘Yeah, we can’. So they did – they wrote one. I said: ‘We don’t have to be doing anything. We can all be non-speaking. Just make sure we’re all together in the Platt house. For God’s sake, please. For when she finally goes, don’t just have someone random with her or whatever’.

Jack P Shepherd spoke about how he was not able to rehearse his emotional goodbye scene with Gail Platt in Coronation Street

He continued: “Helen wanted to go quietly – she wanted to go out the back door. She didn’t want to create a fuss for people. But I said: ‘It’s not so much for you. It’s not you doing the fanfare and the big farewell. It’s for the building. It’s for everyone’.

Helen issued a farewell message after her episode aired last night. She said: “Hello, all of you. It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to say, ‘ta ta!’ It’s been a fabulous fifty years, and I just wanted to thank all of you, some of you who may have been watching for fifty years. Is there anybody? And those of you who’ve been watching for a few years. Thank you. Thanks for coming on the journey with me. I‘ve had a wonderful time. I’ve loved it all.”