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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Kyle O'Sullivan

Corrie Gail star's life off-screen - famous ex-hubby, surprise age and secret marriage

Thankfully, Helen Worth hasn't had nearly as many husbands as Gail Platt.

Unlucky-in-love Gail has had five husbands - four of whom have died - including one notorious serial killer who tried to murder her entire family.

Helen once admitted she would "be in a mental institution" if her life was like Gail's, adding: "I come home and see friends and go to the theatre. Luckily I find it quite easy to switch off – I'd be a nervous wreck if I didn't."

Despite working on the cobbles for nearly 50 years, the actress doesn't actually live in Manchester where filming takes place.

Helen has a house in London and makes the lengthy commute to the set, but she's a northern girl at heart having grown up in Morecambe, Lancashire.

The 71-year-old Corrie legend, who looks sensational for her age, isn't on Gail's level of marriages as she's only walked down the aisle on two occasions in real life.

Helen Worth on her wedding day to Thomas the Tank Engine narrator Michael Angelis (PA)
Michael Angelis died in 2020 but remained friends with Helen until his death (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Helen's first husband was actor Michael Angelis, who is best known for narrating the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends childrens' series.

They were together from the mid 70s and finally tied the knot in 1991, but their marriage came to an end a decade later after his affair with Welsh model Jennifer Khalastchi, who he then married.

Speaking to The Mirror in 2001, Helen admitted she buried herself into work and felt like she was "drowning" and "being dragged down".

"Nothing can ever prepare you for the day your husband sits you down and tells you he is having an affair," she explained.

"My marriage was everything to me. It was the foundation on which everything else was built. I had been with Michael for nearly half of my life. I never imagined that we wouldn't grow old together.

"When he told me, everything just went black. Things started to make sense. Maybe I realised right away that something like that had been bound to happen. Things hadn't been right for some time, but - naively maybe - I didn't think it was serious.

"I knew there was a problem. I just didn't know it was me."

Gail and Brian Tilsley with baby Nick in 1980 (Granada Television)

But Helen did not hold a grudge against her ex-husband, remaining friends and regularly meeting up for lunch until his tragic death in 2020.

"He was called a love rat and a cheat. But he wasn't. That's not how it was, things are never that easy. He just met someone who made him happier than I could. It wasn't a crime. It was just desperately sad," she said.

"I know now that Michael suffered as much as I did. He still loved me when he left. It tore him apart that he was hurting me. He would never willingly have caused me pain. He is the gentlest man I know."

Helen remained single for some time until her whirlwind romance with a deputy headmaster.

The Corrie star met Trevor Dawson at a mutual friend's 90th birthday party - and he claimed it was "love at first sight".

Trevor, who is seven years younger than Helen, had already been a fan before they met as he regularly watched her character on screen.

Helen Worth and her husband Trevor Dawson (PA)
Helen married Trevor in 2012 (PA)

"We watch the show together. I had always been a fan going back some years. I used to watch it with my mum. Of course, Gail was my favourite," he told The Mirror in 2016.

The couple kept their romance secret for more than a year then got married at St James's Church in London in 2012 in front of many of her Corrie co-stars.

The newly-weds were greeted by nearly 200 well wishers who cheered as they emerged from the ceremony.

Thanking her guests, Helen said: "It’s been the most fantastic day, it has exceeded all expectations. We are thrilled that so many of our friends and family could be here to celebrate with us."

Former church organist Trevor is also a qualified pilot and shares Helen’s passion for wildlife conservation.

Explaining how Helen wooed him with her culinary skills, Trevor added: "Cooking is Helen’s department. I do the consuming. She’s really good."

Helen has previously stated how much she loves working on Corrie and hopes to stick around for many years to come.

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