Sean Wilson’s character Martin Platt popped back onto Coronation Street for a fleeting visit in 2018 to bid farewell to his son David before he jetted off to New Zealand

Sean Wilson reportedly sparked “concern” from bosses at Coronation Street.

The Martin Platt actor was set for a return to the cobbles after his brief comeback in 2018 to bid farewell to his son David before he jetted off to New Zealand. But a permanent reunion with wife Gail is off the cards after his departure due to “personal reasons”.

His co-stars are thought to have been “kept in the dark” about the whole ordeal, but now insiders say there’s more to the 59-year-old soap star’s exit. “What is really odd, is that they had started filming most of the scenes,” the source explained.

“Obviously with other cast members and lots of crew on set, and everyone was expecting to shoot more with Sean before he left again as part of the Gail Platt exit storyline,” they told MailOnline. “So to suddenly be told, ‘We’re not continuing and we’re going to re shoot what we’ve already done with another actor’ without any explanation is extremely unusual – unheard of.

“If nothing else, the soaps hate wasting time and money – so the situation must be serious enough for them to feel carrying on is untenable – but to not tell the colleagues directly involved what is going on has really got the rumour mill fired up on set.”

“It seems to be something has been suggested to bosses about Sean after he’d already had already started,” the insider told the outlet earlier this week. “But nobody knows if it is a new thing or something from the past, it’s under total lock and key.”

It comes after claims Sean is enlisting legal assistance for his dispute with bosses. His departure left fellow cast members in shock, and while initial speculation was rife about the reasons, it was later announced by ITV that he left due to personal reasons.

Sources claim that Wilson felt let down for not being part of Gail’s significant exit plot and has now “instructed” lawyers following his unexpected removal from the series. Reports also suggest that Helen Worth, aged 73, who plays Gail, was looking forward to the comeback of Sean, portraying her on-screen former spouse Martin.

An insider disclosed to The Sun on Sunday: “Never before has a departure been so sudden or secretive. He went to the boss’s office and didn’t return. It has been a huge shock to everybody. And it is so sad after all these years that he isn’t going to be in Helen’s final scenes – it is something that she really wanted to happen.”

The publication also mentioned that “lawyers are involved”. An ITV representative commented: “Sean Wilson has stepped down from filming for personal reasons.” Sean first graced Coronation Street as Martin in 1985 and quickly became a hit with viewers.

He waved goodbye to the cobbles in 2005 to spice up his life as a chef, whipping up a storm and even netting awards with his Saddleworth Cheese Company. His character’s decade-long nuptials with Gail might have crumbled under the weight of infidelity, but their love saga is still etched in fans’ hearts as one of Gail’s most gripping romances.