Martin Platt
Soaps

Martin Platt: The ‘normal’ husband in Gail’s life on Coronation Street

What is actor Sean Wilson doing now?

Martin Platt in Coronation Street has been described as the only normal one of ex-wife Gail’s five husbands!

He is the biological dad of David Platt and stepdad to Sarah Platt (now Sarah Barlow) who took his surname as she never knew her real dad.

And he was Gail’s second husband – after Brian, but before Richard, Joe and Michael.

Martin and Gail Platt's wedding in Coronation Street
The age difference between Martin and Gail made tongues way (Credit: ITV/YouTube)

Read more: Coronation Street are bringing back a host of past faces this year

Martin and Gail’s romance

Martin was much younger than Gail when they met working in Jim’s Cafe – which became Roy’s Rolls – back in the 1980s.

When Gail’s husband Brian was murdered, Martin gave his new friend a shoulder to cry on and eventually they fell in love and in 1990, Gail got pregnant.

She was originally planning to have an abortion, but Martin stopped her and the pair settled down together with Martin becoming a father figure to Sarah and Nick  – though Nick was much trickier to parent!

Martin and Rebecca say a tearful goodbye in Coronation Street
Martin wanted to make a life with Rebecca but she left Manchester (Credit: ITV/YouTube)

Who did Martin Platt have an affair with?

Gail and Martin Platt were happy for a while, though their marriage hit a tricky spot when nanny Carmel Finnan told Gail they were having an affair.

Carmel wasn’t telling the truth, but Martin did sleep with another student nurse called Cathy, though Gail forgave him.

When Martin had an affair with another colleague, Rebecca Hopkins, however, it was the end of his marriage to Gail. He stayed locally though and carried on having a good relationship with David and Sarah.

Martin and Katy sit and chat in Coronation Street
Martin and Katy had a shocking affair (Credit: ITV/YouTube)

Relationship with teenage Katy Harris

Martin struck up a friendship with Tommy Harris and in fact, it was he and Tommy who rescued Gail, Sarah, David and Bethany from the sinking car when Richard Hillman tried to kill the family in the canal.

But Martin began a relationship with Tommy’s 16-year-old daughter, Katy Harris, and the whole Street was shocked.

Katy’s family were furious – especially when Katy got pregnant, though she later had an abortion.

When Tommy and Katy had an angry row over her relationship with Martin, Katy killed her dad with a spanner! Her mother Angela, who witnessed the crime, took the blame.

Full of guilt, Katy – who was diabetic – killed herself by eating sugar and not taking her insulin injections.

Why did Martin Platt leave Corrie?

After Martin’s affair with Katy, it was said the Corrie bosses wanted him to have another relationship with an even younger teen.

But actor Sean Wilson wasn’t happy about the direction the character was taking, and when Martin was axed, he said the producers had “done him a favour”.

He said: “They were very rude to me when I left. I would rather walk down any other street even if I had a nail in my shoe.”

Martin Platt worries about his son David in Coronation Street in 2018
Martin returned to Weatherfield to tell David he was emigrating (Credit: ITV/YouTube)

Is Martin coming back?

Martin left the Street in 2005 to move to Liverpool with his new girlfriend Robyn and the pair later had a baby girl.

David and Sarah continued to see him, though, and Martin was often mentioned. David went to stay with him after Kylie’s murder.

In 2018, in the aftermath of David’s rape by his former friend Josh Tucker, Martin was surprised when David turned up on his doorstep.

David found it hard to open up to his dad about what had happened. But when Martin told him he was emigrating to New Zealand, David said he wanted to come, too.

Eventually, after Martin had visited David in Coronation Street, David decided to stay in England.

What’s Martin Platt doing now?

In the world of Coronation Street, Martin is living in New Zealand with Robyn, their daughter Charlotte and a new baby.

Sean Wilson poses with his cheese block
Sean now makes cheese (Credit: ITV)

What’s Martin Platt’s real name?

Martin was played by actor Sean Wilson.

He stayed in Corrie for 20 years and since leaving has had roles in other television shows including Silent Witness and Waterloo Road.

He also came sixth in the first ever series of Dancing on Ice.

Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2022 – meet them all here!

Sean Wilson makes cheese now

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In real life, actor Sean trained as a chef after he left Corrie and worked in Michelin-starred restaurants.

He started his own business, Saddleworth Cheese Company, and wrote a cookbook called The Northern Chef in 2012.

He also had an accompanying television series in 2013, on Channel 5.

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Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV. Classic Coronation Street is on ITV3 every week day at 3pm and 3.30pm.

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Kerry Barrett
Freelance Soap Writer