Coronation Street broke the mould back in 1998 when it introduced the soap’s first transgender character.
Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, was introduced to fans back over two decades ago now. When she was first cast, there was backlash from charities, some of which Julie is now a patron of, as they believed the role should have gone to a transgender actor.
The 52-year-old, from Accrington, Lancashire, insisted she would play the role with “sensitivity and empathy” and that’s what she did as over the next 16 years that followed, Hayley would become one of the soap’s most beloved characters and Julie would win countless awards as a result of her portrayal.
