Atlanta, GA 12/28/2010 10:14:46 PM
'Coronation Street' is to have its first gay wedding when Sean Tully ties the knot next spring.
The storyline will see Sean (Antony Cotton) stunned when male midwife
Marcus Dent - who walked out on the barman in 2008 because he couldn't
cope with his jealousy - returns to Weatherfield and offers to make
the ultimate commitment to him.
An insider told The Sun newspaper: "Bringing back Charlie is seen as a
big platform for him and in particular Antony. When Marcus turns up in
Weatherfield in the spring he is desperate to rekindle his romance.
"But having hurt him once, Sean is apprehensive until Marcus offers him
commitment, with the future storyline leading to Corrie's first same
sex marriage."
Antony – who is homosexual in real life - has played Sean since 2003
and has been at the centre of a number of storylines that have dealt
with the problems faced by the gay community in the UK.
The show's producer Phil Collinson, who is also gay, said: "‘Coronation
Street’ is an amazing platform. You can really make a difference to the
way people think - and this show has always had a gay sensibility."
The soap, which was created by gay writer Tony Warren 50 years ago,
also currently has a lesbian storyline involving Sophie Webster (Brooke
Vincent) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson).
Earlier this year, members of the cast led the gay pride parade in Manchester, where the ITV show is based.
