AS CORRIE’S GAY COUPLE, BILLY AND TODD, TAKE IN DAUGHTER SUMMER, ACTOR DANIEL BROCKLEBANK TALKS ABOUT THE SHOW’S QUEER HISTORY, PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND THE WORK THAT STILL NEEDS

WORDS: TIM HEAP // PHOTOGRAPHS: LEE BAXTER

Coronation Street has been beamed into millions of living rooms for longer than any of its soap opera rivals. Created in 1960 by scriptwriter Tony Warren, himself a gay man, during the course of its 57 years and more than 9,000 episodes, the show has depicted numerous instances of LGBT+ life, which have had a huge influence on changing the way the average Brit perceives sexuality and gender.

Famously, Corrie was the first British soap to introduce a transgender character: Hayley Cropper was played by Julie Hesmondhalgh for 16 years, and her presence on the Street was credited with contributing to a change in attitudes towards transgender people and even helping push through the Gender Recognition Act in 2004.

The show’s first gay kiss, between Adam Rickitt’s Nick Tilsley and Todd Grimshaw, played by Bruno Langley, was watched by 14m people. Meanwhile, Antony Cotton has been a regular on the cobbles for more than 13 years, playing camp barman and sewing machinist Sean Tully. And, in 2010, the first lesbian relationship, between Sophie Webster and Sian Powers, was a hit with viewers.

Three years ago, Weatherfield welcomed gay vicar Billy Mayhew. Played by 37-year-old actor Daniel Brocklebank, who’s also gay, Billy’s character ruffled feathers from the start, with some viewers bridling at the idea of a man of the cloth being a homosexual.

Now in a relationship with Todd Grimshaw (played by Bruno Langley on and off since 2001), the pair have just embarked on the show’s first gay family storyline as legal guardians of 12-year-old Summer. Attitude met Daniel on set to chat about the show’s LGBT+ past, present and future.