Helen Worth thinks the ‘Coronation Street’ anniversary special will need to be virtual for its older stars.
The 69-year-old actress – who has played Gail Platt on the cobbles since 1974 – has opened up on plans to celebrate 60 years of the ITV soap, with fans hoping to see her alongside the likes of Bill Roache (Ken Barlow), Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) and Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts).
Speaking on ‘This Morning’, she said: "That’s happening soon actually… We don’t know, we haven’t been told – it’s got to be virtually really, hasn’t it?
"We can’t all get together. They’ll be coming up with something and I hope it will be a big celebration for ‘Coronation Street’. Sixty years, that’s a long time!"
Many ‘Corrie’ fans have been calling for soap legends like Julie Goodyear to reprise her role as Bet Lynch on the cobbles for the milestone on December 9th. However, producer Iain MacLeod admitted it would’ve felt like a "cheap trick" to bring back several stars just for the anniversary rather than as part of an actual storyline.
He recently explained: "Having a revolving door of former cast coming in to do cameos just for kind of a brief moment of an audience going, ‘Oh wow it’s them,’ would have felt a bit like a cheap trick."
However, the likes of Bill, Sue and Barbara – who are yet to return to filming amid the coronavirus pandemic – will be back for the 60th anniversary episodes.
He added: "We have got an incredible bunch of legends that are already in the show."
Last month, Bill revealed he and his fellow over-70s Weatherfield residents wouldn’t be back on the cobbles until after August at the earliest.
He said: "The over 70s haven’t been called yet. I’ve been told I might be called after August, so I hope so. We’re ready and willing.
"The writers are told to be inventive, so I’m hoping they will come up with something. I would like to get back [to work]."