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It's all change for soap's gays
Ted Paige
One gay in at Corrie, two out at Emmerdale. And a bi for EEs!
"In a recent episode of Coronation Street, a scene saw three gay men remonstrating with a straight woman!"
For a show that was notable for its reluctance to embrace gay characters, Coronation Street is more than catching up (in a recent episode, a scene saw three gay men remonstrating with a straight woman! Surely a first).
The latest addition to the line up of gay male characters (they've still not had a lesbian, though there is a transsexual working in the café) is Ted Paige, the much put-upon Gayle Platt's long-lost gay dad: apparently he was a soldier that got good time gal Audrey pregnant before hot footing it out of Weatherfield.
Played by Michael Byrne, Ted joins Sean Tully, the bubbly gay barman at the Rovers, his boyfriend Marcus and Jason Grimshaw's brother Todd, who has escaped the cobbles of Coronation Street to learn some fancy London ways down south.
Meanwhile, to the north-east of Weatherfield, the village of Emmerdale is getting ready to say goodbye to its gay couple, Grayson and Jonny, who recently celebrated a civil partnership, although the way is being left open for Gray to return (which doesn't bode well for Jonny: those exit storylines tend to be dramatic).
Over Walford way, EastEnders, the first major soap to feature a gay character - Colin, played by Michael Cashman MP, back in the 80s - is ploughing the bisexual furrow with a relationship between Steven Beale and his sort-of uncle Christian, played by John Partridge, who features in the current issue of PrideLife. But it's not the first bisexual to turn up in Albert Square: Sonia Fowler, married to Martin, went on to have an affair with neighbour Naomi.
