Coronation Street star Dolly-Rose Campbell, who plays Gemma Winter, has revealed she wants more bisexual representation in soaps.
The actress, who is bisexual herself, recently talked about how soaps can tell stories across longer periods of time. This makes them the perfect place to tell the stories of bisexual people.
What did Dolly say?
Speaking to the Metro as part of Pride Month, she said: “I would definitely like to see more on TV. There is a common trope of someone going gay for a day and then they’re back to being heterosexual.
“Bisexualtiy is quite hard to cover on screen but with something like a soap, you get to tell stories across a longer period of time than any other series, so you can explore the characters and have bisexual characters, not defined by their sexuality.
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“I know Emmerdale have a bisexual character who is a truthful representation without it being a shock to the audience as they already know her. The story time in a soap is so much longer – I think it is something that we will see more of on screen.”
Hayley Cropper – Coronation Street
She added: “If bisexuality was included more in shows that are a part of everyday life – similar to how Corrie did with Hayley – it would change attitudes and show that we are less ‘other’.”
“Everyone just thinks of Hayley – the fact she is transgender never comes into it. Nobody thinks that’s Hayley who used to be Harold. She is Hayley. And that was such a defining thing and something Corrie should be so proud of.”
The story time in a soap is so much longer – I think it is something that we will see more of on screen.
Hayley was Coronation Street’s first ever transgender character. However Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played her, recently admitted she wouldn’t accept the role if she were offered it today as she is not transgender.
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In 2018, Ash Palmisciano joined Emmerdale as the show’s first transgender character.
Ash, who is transgender in real life, came in playing the character Matty – who was previously known as Hannah.
Coronation Street is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30pm on ITV.
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